“We’ve all agreed to put children at the top of the agenda,” said Paul Kelly, senior policy analyst for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families as he opened a regional meeting for Arkansas Kids Count Coalition held at the Delta Area Health Education Center Tuesday.
“We’re a voice for the voiceless,” he continued as he outlined the multiple issues facing state legislators as they ready for the upcoming session and the families that are affected by decisions of lawmakers.
Kelly said that multiple issues affect low and middle income families such as health, education, economics, transportation and each is intertwined with the lives of children.
KCC was established in 1996 and put the needs of children at the top of the political agenda, created public awareness, monitored legislation, and influenced policy.
Kelly says the KCC is taking a holistic approach when addressing the issue by offering individuals who wish to be advocates for children a two-day training session.
Helena-West Helena was the first stop in the state with other regional meetings scheduled for Texarkana, Jonesboro and Washington County.
“Our efforts in the Kids Count Coalition is targeted for every child’s needs not just our own,” said Kelly as he launched into the topic of the state’s child welfare system.
Kelly said the welfare system serves the most venerable of families in the state.
“We have to tend these children and not give up on them,” stated Kelly.
The KCC says that every child needs parents who have good economic resources, community support and access to services needed to adequately care for their children. Children also need a community that offers safe places to worship, chances for recreation and to learn as well as the opportunity to practice citizenship and responsibility. Leaders that exemplify the courage, wisdom and moral conviction needed to create solutions for persistent problems and serve the common good are also a must, according to the KCC.
When children are removed from their home, vital connections are lost as they move from the home and onto a new school. Children removed from their home lose friends, relatives, pastors, teachers, coaches, neighbors and essentially their whole community. Kelly said the affect on the children is devastating.
KCC quotes the vision of the state welfare system as ensuring that every child in the system has a “genuine chance to be a part of a lifelong family,” although statistics show that the 26 children from Phillips County in the state welfare system stayed in state custody for an average of 23.2 months. The state average is 13.1 months. Five children from Phillips County were adopted between April 2007 to March of 2008 and those children spent 54.7 months under state care. The state average is 28 months according to data reported to the federal government by the DHS every six months.
“That’s a long time to lose that connection,” said Kelly.
“We have children who languished in foster care. That has a traumatic impact on those children’s lives.”
The majority of children in the welfare system are removed from neglect.
KCC says that 77 percent of cases dealing with children maltreatment concern neglect.
“In many neglect cases, the parents are going through stressful times that result from job loss, little education, a limited income, no support system and family members may be dealing with substance abuse or mental health problems,” said Kelly.
Other children involved in maltreatment cases suffer from physical or sexual abuse, as much as 32 percent, explained Kelly, which may cause ongoing physical and psychological struggles.
The need for expanded medical and health treatment to treat long-term problems caused by the abuse is also an issue the KCC is addressing.
“People think there is no solution,” said Kelly as he gave some ways to improve the lives of children who are suffering from the issues of being removed from their home.
Improving and increasing community support, sustainability and resources can help the situation. Offering substance abuse treatment facilities or programs, mental health services and recruiting more foster care and adoptive homes are measure that KCC says will alleviate some of the problems in Phillips County.
Arkansas Advocates for Families and Children do not support any ban for unmarried couples from adopting or fostering children.
Kelly said that the ban was not ideal and limiting the pool of potential adoptive or foster parents was not giving Arkansas kids a chance.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of three articles dealing with children’s issue. The next two articles will address child health and development and local, state and federal tax issues affecting children and families.