2010 Arkansas Code
Title 6 - Education
Subtitle 2 - Elementary And Secondary Education Generally
Chapter 18 - Students
Subchapter 14 - Family Resource Centers Act
§ 6-18-1406 - Implementation plans.

6-18-1406. Implementation plans.

(a) The implementation plan developed by the State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board with input from the local advisory groups, the local school district, and the priority elementary school shall include an effort to implement a network of family resource centers across the state.

(b) The family resource centers shall be located in or near each priority elementary school.

(c) The implementation plan shall promote identification and coordination of existing resources, including any program that currently exists at the school under a parental involvement plan under 6-15-1701 et seq.

(d) The implementation plan may include the following components for each site:

(1) (A) Information and referral activities:

(i) For off-site services to assist participants in having their basic needs met; and

(ii) That provide participants with a point of entry to available support networks.

(B) Examples of off-site service referrals include without limitation the following:

(i) Child care centers;

(ii) Health care providers;

(iii) Counseling services;

(iv) Legal aid;

(v) Food banks;

(vi) Housing and domestic violence shelters; and

(vii) Federal agencies, state agencies, or other entities that provide benefits or services that the participants may need;

(2) (A) Parenting education services to promote the sharing of information, strategies, and tools to help parents with the difficult job of being parents.

(B) Examples of parenting activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Group-based parent education classes;

(ii) Providing credentialed guest speakers; or

(iii) Making materials on parenting issues available to parents through lending libraries or take-home materials;

(3) (A) Child development activities to strengthen the parent and child bond and to promote optimal development of a child by assisting parents in the utilization, understanding, and application of early child development activities.

(B) Child development activities shall emphasize child development during the earliest years, specifically zero to three (0-3) years of age.

(C) Child development activities shall address the following:

(i) Healthy physical development;

(ii) Cognitive development;

(iii) Social development; or

(iv) Emotional development.

(D) Specific strategies to promote child development within family resource centers may include the following:

(i) Referring or establishing quality child care or after-school care programs;

(ii) Providing developmental screenings;

(iii) Educating parents about developmental milestones;

(iv) Providing literacy and pre-literacy activities such as story time;

(v) Providing play groups or "make and take" activities for young children; or

(vi) Establishing toy, book, computer, or technology sharing or lending libraries.

(E) Child development activities may be conducted at the family resource centers through home visiting programs such as Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) or as part of Head Start;

(4) Life skills education to provide an opportunity for participants to strengthen skills and competencies that will help them succeed in everyday tasks to include, but not be limited to, the following:

(A) Developing and maintaining a household budget;

(B) Shopping for and preparing nutritious meals;

(C) Securing and maintaining employment;

(D) Conflict resolution skills;

(E) Goal setting;

(F) Time management;

(G) Decision making; or

(H) Stress management;

(5) (A) Family literacy to connect education for children with literacy instruction for their parents.

(B) Family literacy activities may include the following:

(i) Adult literacy instruction for parents;

(ii) General education diploma instruction for parents;

(iii) Referral to a vocational educational institution or an institution of higher education in the state;

(iv) Information provided on scholarships that might be available to the parent if the parent decides to proceed with higher education;

(v) Child literacy programs; or

(vi) Parent and child literacy activities; and

(6) (A) Informal network building to assist families in developing a network of mutual support, to include caring, resource sharing, emotional support, and social support.

(B) The informal network building program shall be designed to promote activities to help parents get to know one another, raise their social capital, and reduce their isolation.

(C) Examples of informal network building programs include the following:

(i) Support groups;

(ii) Social activities;

(iii) Family celebrations;

(iv) Recreational activities;

(v) Holiday gatherings; or

(vi) Newsletters.

(e) The State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board and the local advisory group shall agree which of the components in subsection (d) of this section are core components or optional components based on the individual implementation plan for each priority elementary school's family resource center.

(f) (1) The State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board shall determine which schools meet the definition of priority elementary schools under this subchapter by July 1, 2004.

(2) The Department of Education and the State Board of Education shall provide all information necessary in the format necessary for the State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board to meet the deadline under this subsection.

(g) (1) The State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board shall select a minimum of ten (10) eligible priority elementary schools for which an implementation plan shall be completed, subject to funding.

(2) The State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board shall complete its implementation plan for a minimum of ten (10) priority elementary schools on or before December 1, 2004, subject to funding.

(h) On or before August 1, 2005, family resource centers shall be established in or adjacent to a minimum of ten (10) priority elementary schools, subject to funding.