(a) When a person, agency, corporation, or partnership then providing substitute care for any child in the custody of the Department of Human Services or a Department of Human Services employee or employee's spouse or other person residing in the home is reported as being suspected of child maltreatment, the investigation shall be conducted pursuant to procedures established by the Department of Human Services.
(b) The procedures described in subsection (a) of this section shall include referral of allegations to the Department of Arkansas State Police and any other appropriate law enforcement agency if the allegation involves severe maltreatment.
(c) Upon referral, the Department of Arkansas State Police shall investigate the allegations.
(d)
(1) The Department of Human Services and the Department of Arkansas State Police may develop and implement triage procedures for accepting and documenting reports of child maltreatment of a child not at risk of imminent harm if an appropriate referral is made to a community organization or voluntary preventive service.
(2) The Department of Human Services and the Department of Arkansas State Police shall not implement this section until rules necessary to carry out this subsection have been promulgated pursuant to the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act, § 25-15-201 et seq.
(e)
(1) With regard to the procedures described in subdivisions (d)(1) and (2) of this section, the Department of Human Services shall assess the safety of a child upon the receipt of an accepted child maltreatment report.
(2) The assessment under subdivision (e)(1) of this section shall include each underlying issue or additional child maltreatment concern that may not have been identified in the original Child Abuse Hotline report.
(f) The Department of Human Services shall work with families related to an accepted child maltreatment report to remedy the conditions or issues that resulted in the child maltreatment report.
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