Eight missing children recovered in Arkansas State Police operation, two foster children still missing

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas State Police and its partners recovered or safely located eight missing and endangered children during a four-day operation last week, the agency announced. Two Arkansas foster children remain missing.

Operation HOPE began Tuesday, Aug. 18, and focused on children reported missing from foster care and other high-risk situations. ASP worked alongside the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Children and Family Services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, the HHS Office of Inspector General, and other law enforcement and child welfare agencies.

When the operation launched, four Arkansas children in foster care were reported missing. Three were recovered on the first day. Investigators responded to six more missing or endangered child cases that came in across the state during the operation, bringing the total to 10 children.

Of the eight children recovered or located, seven were in DCFS care. Two were foster children reported missing from Colorado who were found in Arkansas. The cases included children missing from foster and residential placements, an alleged child abduction, and cases with indicators of possible human trafficking.

ASP Special Agents and partner agencies are still working to locate the two Arkansas foster children who remain missing.

“Every missing child case demands an immediate, coordinated response,” said Sgt. Matt Foster, Arkansas Human Trafficking Coordinator. “Operation HOPE brought together the expertise and resources of law enforcement, child welfare professionals, and federal partners to locate vulnerable children, investigate the circumstances surrounding their disappearance, and ensure they receive the support they need once they are found.”

The operation builds on VALOR, a statewide partnership launched in January 2024 to improve Arkansas’ response to missing and endangered children. At VALOR’s launch, the state had 184 active cases involving people reported missing before age 18, including an average of roughly 40 to 50 children missing from foster care at any given time.

As of Aug. 21, that number has dropped to 80 active cases. Thirty of those individuals are still younger than 18, and only two Arkansas foster children are currently reported missing.

The federal Administration for Children and Families launched the first Operation HOPE in May and has been replicating the model in other states.

“Every child in foster care deserves protection, so when they go missing, it is our utmost responsibility to bring them home,” said ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams. “We are proud to have done so with Arkansas, and we will keep working until every child in the nation is accounted for and safe.”