Establishment and Maintenance of Central Registries for Child Abuse or Neglect Reports - Arkansas

Date: January 2024

Establishment

Citation: Ann. Code § 12-18-901

There is a statewide Child Maltreatment Central Registry established within the Department of Human Services.

Purpose

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Contents

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 12-18-902; 15-18-906

The Child Maltreatment Central Registry shall contain records of cases on all true investigative determinations of child maltreatment. Records of all cases in which allegations are determined to be unsubstantiated shall not be included in the central registry.

Maintenance

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 12-18-904; 12-18-908; 12-18-910

An offender's name shall remain in the central registry unless any of the following occurs:

  • The name is removed pursuant to this chapter or another statute.
  • The name is removed under a rule.
  • The name was provisionally placed in the registry, and the alleged offender subsequently prevails at an administrative hearing.
  • The offender prevails upon appeal.

An adult offender shall permanently remain on the Child Maltreatment Central Registry if the following apply:

  • An adult offender is convicted of a criminal offense for an act or omission that constitutes child maltreatment and for which the adult offender is named in the registry regardless of any subsequent expungement of the criminal offense from the adult offender's criminal record.
  • An adult offender's conviction for a criminal offense has not been reversed or vacated.
  • An adult offender's name is placed on the registry for severe maltreatment.

Hard copy records of unsubstantiated reports shall be retained no longer than 18 months for purposes of audit.

Information on unsubstantiated reports included in the automated data system shall be retained indefinitely to assist the department and the State police in assessing future risk and safety.

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