(a)
- (1) There will be special situations when the Division of Children and Family Services will be required to respond to child welfare related emergencies that occur in the immigrant community.
- (2) The division may provide needed services to families in the community, including information and referral, supportive, protective, and foster care services to children (birth to seventeen (17) years of age).
- (3) Any children at immediate risk of harm or apparently in need of protection will receive the division services, regardless of the immigration status of the child or their parent or parents.
(b)
- (1) The division staff members are not required to verify any client’s citizenship or immigration status.
- (2) If a division worker has any reason to suspect that a client is in the United States illegally, the worker will ask the client to verify his or her citizenship or immigration status.
- (3) The division staff member will accept the client’s documentation or verbal response at face value without further questioning and will document all information provided (documents or verbal statements) regarding the client’s citizenship and/or immigration status in CHRIS.
(c)
- (1) If it is believed that a client child is an undocumented immigrant, the case will be reviewed by the division worker, county supervisor, and Area Director.
- (2) If they believe that the child is an undocumented immigrant, they will refer the case to the Special Assistant to the Director of the Division of Children and Family Services.
- (3) The Special Assistant to the director will discuss the case with the attorney designated to handle Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases to determine if the case is appropriate for SIJS.
- (4) If the case is appropriate, the Office of Chief Counsel attorney will prepare and submit the SIJS application to the appropriate agency.
Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: "02/2008"