1. (a) After receiving notification of the child’s disappearance by the placement provider, the primary Family Service Worker (FSW) Caseworker will:

   1. (1)

      1. (A) Notify the child’s custodial or noncustodial parent of the discovery of the child’s disappearance within two (2) hours or sooner depending on the age of the child, by phone, or preferably, a visit to the home if possible.
      2. (B) If the parents currently reside in a county outside the primary FSW Caseworker’s county, the secondary FSW Caseworker or an appropriate FSW supervisor may conduct the home visit to notify the parents that his or her child is currently missing.
      3. (C) If the custodial or noncustodial parent’s current or correct address or telephone number is unknown, a letter will be written to the parent’s last known address;

   2. (2) Notify supervisor, the child’s secondary FSW and Transitional Youth Services (TYS) Coordinator (if applicable), and attorney ad litem within two (2) hours via:

      1. (A) Email;
      2. (B) Phone; or
      3. (C) Text;

   3. (3)

      1. (A) Notify the Division of Arkansas State Police, local police department, or sheriff’s office, as applicable, within two (2) hours after receiving information on missing or abducted children or youth.
      2. (B) The notification, which may occur via email, text, or phone will include where reasonably possible:

2. (i) Child’s name;

   1. (ii) A description of the child’s physical features such as:
3. (a) (a) Height;

4. (b) (b) Weight;

   1. (c) (c) Sex;

      1. (d) (d) Ethnicity;
5. (e) (e) Race;
6. (f) (f) Hair color; and

7. (g) (g) Eye color;

   1. (iii)
8. (a) (a) A photo of the child.

9. (b) (b) Any published photos or other information published to help locate the child shall not identify the child as a child in foster care;

   1. (iv) Child’s date of birth;

      1. (v) Circumstances of the missing child’s disappearance, including the date the child went missing or was last seen, and if the child indicated a destination (and if so, what the destination is);

         1. (vi) Any other factual, biographical, or historical information that may assist with locating the missing child;
         2. (vii) Endangerment information such as the child’s:
10. (a) (a) Pregnancy status;

11. (b) (b) Prescription medications;

    1. (c) (c) Suicidal tendencies;

       1. (d) (d) Vulnerability to being sex trafficked; and

12. (e) (e) Other health or risk factors; and

    1. (viii) A request for law enforcement to enter the information into the National Crime Information Center database of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

    2. (4) Once a police report has been filed, contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) no later than twenty-four (24) hours after receiving information on missing or abducted children or youth, to provide the following information to NCMEC per the memorandum of understanding between the Division of Children and Family Services and NCMEC:

       1. (A) Child’s name;

       2. (B) A description of the child’s physical features such as:

          1. (i) Height;
          2. (ii) Weight;
          3. (iii) Sex;
          4. (iv) Ethnicity;
          5. (v) Race;
          6. (vi) Hair color; and
          7. (vii) Eye color;

       3. (C)

          1. (i) Photo of the child.
          2. (ii) Any published photos or other information published to help locate the child shall not identify the child as a child in foster care;
       4. (D) Child’s date of birth;
       5. (E) Name and contact information of the primary FSW Caseworker and FSW supervisor;
       6. (F) Investigating law enforcement agency name, contact information, and case number, including a missing person report number;
       7. (G) Circumstances of the missing child’s disappearance, including the date the child went missing or was last seen;
       8. (H) Any other factual, biographical, or historical information that may assist with locating the missing child; and

       9. (I) Endangerment information such as the child’s:

          1. (i) Pregnancy status;
          2. (ii) Prescription medications;
          3. (iii) Suicidal tendencies;
          4. (iv) Vulnerability to being sex trafficked; and
          5. (v) Other health or risk factors;
    3. (5) Upon NCMEC’s request, release to NCMEC any additional requested information or records that are relevant to locating the missing child;
    4. (6) Maintain regular communication with law enforcement agencies and NCMEC in efforts to provide a safe recovery of a missing or abducted child, including by sharing information pertaining to the child’s recovery and circumstances related to the recovery;

    5. (7)

       1. (A) Contact the local Office of Chief Counsel and request the Office of Chief Counsel to complete and file a pick-up order and a motion and order to notify the court that the child is missing no more than twenty-four (24) hours after receiving notification of a missing child.
       2. (B) The motion requesting the pick-up order and the proposed order will put the court on notice that the child is missing;
    6. (8) Provide the order regarding the missing child to the designated Transitional Youth Services representative in the division Central Office who will assist in locating the youth;

    7. (9)

       1. (A) Update the child’s placement information in the division’s information management system within two (2) business days, to include completion of fields regarding the required reports made to local law enforcement and NCMEC.

       2. (B)

          1. (i) Even when the child is placed on runaway status, the child’s Medicaid case will remain open.
          2. (ii) If the child is still on runaway status at the time of his or her Medicaid redetermination, such as the anniversary of his or her entering foster care, then the Medicaid case will be closed at that time;
    8. (10) Communicate regularly with the child’s secondary FSW Caseworker and the Transitional Youth Services (TYS) Coordinator, if applicable, and the designated Transitional Youth Services representative in Central Office;

    9. (11)

       1. (A) When an Arkansas child in foster care has run away and is located in another state, notify the Administrator of the Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ), Arkansas Code § 9-29-401, of the Division of Youth Services.
       2. (B) ICJ will process all out-of-state runaways’ probationers, runaways, and children in foster care; and

    10. (12) If the child is not found:

        1. (A) Continue to call previously contacted parties and inquire for information, furnish further information that becomes available, and if appropriate, extend the search to other counties and states; and

        2. (B)

           1. (i) Update the custodial or noncustodial parents to assure them that the search continues no less than weekly when current contact information for the custodial or noncustodial parents is available.
           2. (ii) This requirement does not apply to parents whose parental rights have been terminated.

13. (b) After receiving notification of the child’s disappearance from the FSW, the Family Service Worker supervisor will:

    1. (1) Notify the Area Director or designee of the child’s disappearance; and
    2. (2) Conference with the FSW as needed.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: "07/2024"