Best Interests of the Child

Statute: Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-102 (Michie 1998)

Law:

The General Assembly recognizes that children are defenseless and that there is no greater moral obligation upon the General Assembly than to provide for the protection of our children and that our child welfare system needs to be strengthened by establishing a clear policy of the State that the best interests of the children must be paramount and shall have precedence at every stage of juvenile court proceedings.
The best interests of the child shall be the standard for recommendations made by the employees of the Department of Human Services and for juvenile court determinations as to whether a child should be reunited with his or her family or removed from or remain in a home wherein the child has been abused or neglected.

Concurrent Planning

Statute: Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-303(43)(D) (West, WESTLAW through Ark. 2003 Legis. Serv., Acts 1166 & 1319)

Law:

Reasonable efforts to place a child for adoption or with a legal guardian or permanent custodian may be made concurrently with reasonable efforts to reunite a child with his or her family.