1. (a) Overview.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) Prevention services are designed to reduce the likelihood of future child maltreatment by providing interventions to:

2. (i) Help caregivers in their child-rearing role;

   1. (ii) Strengthen family functioning; and

      1. (iii) Promote the healthy development of children.
      2. (B) Services may be provided directly by Division of Children and Family Services staff via purchased services, by referral to another appropriate agency, or some combination of these options.
      3. (C) Examples may include, but are not limited to, parenting education and service referrals such as counseling or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
      4. (D) A family’s participation in a prevention services case is voluntary.
   2. (2) If the needs of the family require only a referral for services and do not require further follow-up from the division, division staff will make the necessary referrals as soon as possible but are not required to open a prevention services case for the family in the division’s information management system.

   3. (3)

      1. (A) If the family needs assistance beyond a single referral to another community provider and consents to participate in a prevention services case, the division will open a prevention services case for the family in the division’s information management system.
      2. (B) Prevention services cases are generally time-limited but may remain open for the duration necessary for appropriate service provision.
      3. (C) The division will close a prevention services case upon request of the caregivers.

   4. (4)

      1. (A) The division will complete the division’s approved safety and risk assessment tools for households involved in prevention services cases.
      2. (B) Prevention services cases opened from differential response or investigative pathways will have already had initial risk assessments in the course of differential response or an investigation.
      3. (C) Please see below for more information regarding how a prevention services case may be opened following a differential response or investigation.

   5. (5)

      1. (A) The division will collect and assess information about the family’s strengths and needs utilizing the division’s approved family assessment tool.
      2. (B) For any prevention services case open longer than thirty (30) days, the division will also develop a prevention services case plan with the family within that thirty-day period.
      3. (C) Case plan services and supports will be based on the needs and strengths identified via the division’s approved family assessment tool.
      4. (D) The assigned Family Service Worker (FSW) will maintain regular contact with family as needed based on the risk assessment rating.
      5. (E) If the risk assessment rating is low or moderate, contact should be at least weekly during the first month of the case and at least monthly thereafter.
      6. (F) For risk assessment ratings of high or very high, at least weekly contact is recommended throughout the life of the case or until measurable risk reduction has occurred.
   6. (6) If a safety threat is identified or child maltreatment is suspected at any point during an interaction with a household with a prevention services referral, division staff will fulfill their mandated reporter duty by making a report to the Child Abuse Hotline.

3. (b) Traditional prevention services cases.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The division will accept referrals for households in need of assistance for a wide range of services based on the assessed needs of the household.
      2. (B) Such referrals will not be accepted through the Child Abuse Hotline as child maltreatment reports.
      3. (C) Rather, a household member may request a prevention services case from the division supervisor in their local Department of Human Services office if they feel they are in need of services.

      4. (D)

         1. (i) If the family accepts, a prevention services case will be opened.
         2. (ii) Prevention services cases may be eligible for Family First prevention services.

      5. (E)

         1. (i) As such, foster care candidate eligibility screens must be completed for each prevention services case.
         2. (ii) Cases determined to be eligible as a foster care candidate must also have a prevention plan completed.
         3. (c) Prevention services case following a child maltreatment investigation.
   2. (1) A prevention services case will be offered when the division has contact with a household through an investigation if the division’s approved safety and risk assessment results recommend opening a case, but the investigation is unsubstantiated.

   3. (2) The goal of the prevention services case in these instances is to provide services to strengthen the family and prevent future maltreatment.

      1. (d) Prevention services for underage juvenile offenders.
   4. (1) A prevention services case may be provided to a family when one (1) of the household members is an underage juvenile offender (UJO).
   5. (2) The division will offer services to the caregivers for the UJO to include, but not be limited to, referrals for offender treatment and collaborating with the child’s school to ensure safety of the child or other children in the classroom.
4. (e) Prevention services following differential response. For families involved in differential response that require services beyond sixty (60) days to remedy the conditions or issues that resulted in the child maltreatment report sent to the differential response pathway, those services may be offered through a prevention services case (see 9 CAR § 40-302, differential response, for more information), particularly if the division’s approved safety and risk assessment results recommend opening a case.

5. (f) Prevention services via family in need of services.

   1. (1) There are some situations in which a judge may order family services for a household through a Family In Need of Services (FINS).
   2. (2) The agency will provide such family services through the opening of a prevention services case (see 9 CAR § 40-341, family in need of services, for more information).

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: "02/2025"