Restore Hope

10/15/2026

New opportunities are bringing fresh hope to child welfare and the possibility of helping more children grow up in safe, stable families.

All 50 states have signed on to A Home for Every Child, an initiative focused on improving support for children and families. Priorities include strengthening support for relatives and foster families and using more timely data to guide decisions.

We’re encouraged by opportunities for states and community partners to work more closely together.

For 25 years, the federal government has measured state child welfare systems against a set of standards that not a single state has managed to meet in full, no

10/14/2026

Apply to work with the Restore Hope and the 10:33 Initiative in Van Buren, AR: https://www.indeed.com/job/program-assistant-926e9fb862bd7fe2

100 Families Initiative of Crawford County

10/14/2026

🎉 More hope is coming to Washington County!

The 10:33 Initiative is expanding into Washington County, bringing together local organizations, churches, businesses, schools, and community partners to help individuals and families move from crisis to stability and ultimately to career.

We're excited to see this work continue to grow in Northwest Arkansas and grateful for the community partners stepping up to make it possible! 💙

Thank you to 5NEWS for sharing the story!

📺 Read more:

Through the service, a community advocate can help connect those in need with housing assistance, health care providers, and job training opportunities.

10/13/2026

A fresh start after prison takes more than an open door. It takes a path to employment and support to overcome the barriers along the way.

Today, Restore Hope joined the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Arkansas Department of Commerce, and the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College to share how Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ 10:33 Reentry Initiative is helping build that path. Together, we spoke to the Arkansas Career Education and Workforce Development Board about connecting people leaving prison with the training, opportunities, and support they need to move forward.

During the presentation, Restore Hope’s Director of Judicial Services, Janet Camp, emphasized the importance of collaboration and making existing resources work together.

“We have incredible resources across Arkansas. The opportunity before us is to connect those resources in a way that removes barriers, opens doors to employment, and gives individuals a real opportunity to succeed.”

Camp also highlighted the philosophy behind the Governor’s initiative.

“This initiative is about providing a hand up, not a handout. It’s about giving individuals the tools and opportunities to become self-sufficient, support their families, and contribute to their communities.”

The 10:33 Reentry Initiative brings together state agencies, educational institutions, employers, and community partners to connect individuals with workforce training, industry-recognized credentials, employment opportunities, and essential support services before and after release.

Through this collaborative approach, Arkansas is working to reduce recidivism, strengthen families, and create meaningful pathways to long-term self-sufficiency.

Restore Hope is grateful for the leadership of Governor Sanders and the continued commitment of its state and community partners to moving Arkansans from crisis to career.

10/12/2026

When a family is in crisis, the last thing they should have to do is tell their worst day over and over to agency after agency.

In Iowa, communities are working to change that. Through Thrive Iowa, which uses the Restore Hope model, local leaders and organizations are coming together around a collective impact approach. Site coordinators work like project managers, and navigators walk alongside families to connect them with the right help across 13 care areas.

More than 70 community leaders packed a room in Sioux City to hear about the collective impact model. As one leader put it, “We love our community, and we want to see it thrive.”

Cindy Mears said that an alarming amount of residents of Louisa County are financially strapped on a day-to-day basis, and finding resources is a burden due to

10/09/2026

Although the church and state carry separate roles, they share a collective impact. Understanding their roles and fostering partnership leads to community transformation, healing, and reconciliation.

At the Restore Hope Annual Conference, Greg Baker (Church Ambassador Network) discussed the ideas about how uniting prevention efforts with government and the church leads to welfare reduction, boosting education, and better outcomes for correction systems.

Church Ambassador Network of TX Church Ambassador Network of IA

10/08/2026

Steven Franklin is 34 years old, married, a father of three, and a college graduate with a career in sales. He noted that no single system delivered him to where he is today.

Read More from this panel discussion with Steven and his brother Hebron: https://smartjustice.org/child-welfare/former-foster-care-youth-speak-candidly-about-their-experience

10/07/2026

Arkansas’ A Home for Every Child strategy is strengthening commitment across the entire child welfare continuum, from primary prevention and community support to foster care, kinship placement and permanency.

At the 2026 Restore Hope Conference, Tiffany Wright of Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services said the goal is to build communities that wrap around families before crisis requires government involvement, keep children safely connected to relatives whenever foster care is necessary, and ensure children who have spent extended time in foster care are not forgotten.

Because whether the work begins with prevention, kinship care or permanency, the focus remains the same: helping every child experience the safety, stability and belonging of family.

10/06/2026

“I knew I could come to them. It feels good to know that people care.”

When Jermaine connected with 100 Families of Independence County, his goal was clear: bring his daughters home.

For nine months, he worked through court requirements, maintained his job, secured stable housing and transportation, and kept showing up for his girls. Along the way, 100 Families helped connect him with the resources and people he needed to keep moving forward.

Today, Jermaine has full custody of both of his daughters. 💙

His story is a powerful example of what can happen when a determined parent is surrounded by a community working together to help a family succeed.

We’re especially grateful to the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, whose support provided the initial investment that helped bring 100 Families to Independence County. Their latest 25 Weeks of Gratitude story shares Jermaine’s journey and the collective impact behind it.

Read Jermaine’s story: https://blueandyoufoundationarkansas.org/25-weeks-of-gratitude-restoring-hope-reuniting-a-family/

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield 100 Families Initiative of Independence County Batesville School District

Sarah Lehr Today, Jermaine Smith is doing what he loves best: being a hands-on dad to his two young daughters. But not long ago, Jermaine was fighting for the chance to tuck them in at night, hear their voices in his home and rebuild the life that had been taken from them. After a family […]

10/05/2026

For the first time in its history, the Russellville Housing Authority has gone three consecutive months without a single tenant needing a utility subsidy check.

🏠🤝 Executive Director Donna Smith shares about the collaboration that has made this milestone possible.

“The result is that when we do house someone, they are not simply receiving a set of keys. They have a support system and a greater understanding of how they will be able to afford and maintain their home."

Read more from Smart Justice: https://smartjustice.org/family-stability/housing-through-collaboration-dignity-and-opportunity

Russellville Housing Authority 100 Families of Pope & Yell Counties

As a housing authority, we have the ability to provide a safe and affordable home. But we have also learned that housing alone is not always enough. If someone