AR HB1654

Requires preferential consideration for grandparents and other relatives to serve as foster care placements or adoptive parents when biological parents cannot care for the child and no health or safety concerns exist.

Applies preferential consideration to grandparents regardless of age when parental rights are relinquished or terminated.

Amends Arkansas Code §§ 9-27-355(b)(1) and 9-28-108(c)(1) to explicitly include grandparents in provisions giving relatives preferential placement consideration if they meet child protection standards and placement is in the child's best interest.

Amends Arkansas Code § 9-28-402(16) to clarify that grandparent homes qualifying as provisional foster homes are opened for no more than six months after conducting health and safety checks and visual inspections.

Establishes legislative findings noting approximately 5,200 children in Arkansas foster care and identifying risks of educational disruption, homelessness, and incarceration for youth aging out of the system.