August 26, 2026
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas State Police (ASP), working alongside state, federal, and local partners, safely recovered or located eight missing and endangered children during Operation HOPE, a multi-day coordinated effort centered on children reported missing from foster care and other high-risk circumstances.
The operation began Tuesday, Aug. 18, and involved ASP; the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS); the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF); the HHS Office of Inspector General; and other law enforcement and child-welfare partners.
At the start of Operation HOPE, four Arkansas children in foster care had been reported missing. Three of those children were safely recovered on the first day of the operation. During the four-day effort, investigators also responded to six additional missing or endangered child cases that emerged across the state.
In all, Operation HOPE involved 10 missing or endangered children. Eight were recovered or safely located.
Of the eight children recovered or located safely, seven were in DCFS care. Two were foster children reported missing from Colorado who were located in Arkansas. The cases included children missing from foster and residential placements, an alleged child abduction, and cases involving indicators of possible human trafficking.
Two Arkansas children in foster care remain missing. ASP Special Agents and partner agencies continue investigative efforts to locate them safely.
“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.”
Operation HOPE builds upon Arkansas’ VALOR initiative, a statewide partnership of law enforcement, child welfare professionals, advocates, service providers, nonprofit organizations, and state and federal agencies committed to improving the response to missing and endangered children.
When VALOR officially launched in January 2024, Arkansas had 184 active cases involving individuals reported missing before reaching age 18, including an average of approximately 40 to 50 children missing from foster care.
As of Aug. 21, 2026, Arkansas has 80 active missing-person cases involving individuals reported missing before turning 18. Thirty of those individuals are currently younger than 18. Only two Arkansas children in foster care are currently reported missing.
“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. “When the Trump administration launched Operation Hope in May, we promised to replicate its success across the nation. 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.”
“A missing foster child is never just another case or number—it is a young person navigating circumstances no child should ever face alone,” said Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General T. March Bell. “Through Operation HOPE, HHS‑OIG and our partners brought forward the full strength of an interagency response, demonstrating that collaboration is a force multiplier in safeguarding children. Our commitment is unwavering: to find missing youth swiftly and to support their health and safety.”