DCFS Can Do Better
	Working for a Kinder, Gentler, Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services If you have reason to suspect that a child you know is being abused, please call the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-482-5964.  Don't stop until you get an answer.

What's The Law?

The Arkansas Child Maltreatment Act is section 12-12-501 through 12-12-519 of the Arkansas Code.  We have scanned in and formatted the act as amended in 2003 from a handout from MidSOUTH, so, you can see the entire act or click on the section to go to by using the following links:

Arkansas Child Maltreatment Act.
12-12-501. Title and purpose.
12-12-502. Regulations - Cooperative agreements.
12-12-503. Definitions.
12-12-504. Penalties.
12-12-505. Central registry.
12-12-506. Disclosure of central registry data.
12-12-507. Reports of suspected abuse or neglect.
12-12-508. Radiology procedures, photographs, and medical records.
12-12-509. Investigation - Examinations of children.
12-12-510. Investigative powers.
12-12-511. Investigation to be closed.
12-12-512. Child maltreatment investigative determination - Notice of finding - Amendment and appeal.
12-12-513. Requests for subpoenas - Form.
12-12-514. Child maltreatment investigative report.
12-12-515. Provision of information to person or agency making initial notification of suspected maltreatment.
12-12-516. Protective custody of children.
12-12-517. Liability.
12-12-518. Privileged communications as evidence - Exception.
12-12-519. Custody of children and services to families.

You can also see a copy of it by going to the Arkansas Legislature's Arkansas Code site and click on the "Arkansas Code" link near the bottom of the page.  On the next page in the menu on the left, click on the "+" beside Arkansas Code (Non annotated), then click on the "+" beside Title 12: Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, And Military Affairs, then click on the "+" beside Subtitle 2: Law Enforcement Agencies and Programs, then click on the "+" beside Chapter 12: Crime Reporting And Investigations, then click on the "+" beside Subchapter 5: Child Abuse Reporting (just remember 12, 2, 12, 5).  You can read each of the sections by clicking on its title under that Subchapter 5 heading in the menu on the left.  Note that it will probably be later in 2003 before these pages are updated to reflect all of the changes from the 2003 legislative session (such as House Bill 1636, which has a bunch of changes).

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