Restore Hope

10/23/2026

Way to go Thrive Iowa of Marshall and Tama Counties!

A new initiative known as Thrive Iowa is taking root in Marshall and Tama counties, and on Wednesday, the professionals behind the program met with civic leaders, social workers and law enforcement to map out how it will look locally and plan the next steps. In Tama County, that collective impact me...

10/23/2026

What a great launch in Thrive Iowa Buena Vista County! More communities using Collaboration and HopeHub to coordinate existing resources and produce sustainable outcomes for families!

10/23/2026

Every state has signed on to a new federal approach to child welfare that promises less paperwork, greater flexibility, and faster responses to the needs of children and families.

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, noted federal child welfare official Cody Inman during his keynote address at Restore Hope's annual conference.

But things are changing. Every state has now signed on to a new approach that could transform how children and families are served.

Inman, a senior official with the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, described the shift as a new level of cooperation between federal officials, states, and community organizations. He said it's creating an unusual sense of optimism in child welfare.

"The excitement that we are feeling from state child welfare is like I have never felt before," said Inman, who spent a decade working in Oklahoma's child welfare system before joining the federal government.

At the center of that optimism is A Home for Every Child, a voluntary federal initiative that has secured participation from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

"That has never happened with a presidential voluntary opt-in initiative in a politically partisan environment. And for that, we are very proud," said Inman.



Administration for Children and Families - ACF

10/22/2026

Today, an Arkansas task force released recommendations aimed at helping young people build stable, independent lives after foster care. Young people aging out of care face higher risks of homelessness, poverty, and incarceration. Over the past year, the task force has studied those challenges and heard directly from former foster youth about their experiences and the support they need to succeed.

Thank you to the many organizations that were in the room today. We appreciate Michael Weitzman of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development coming in from Washington, D.C. to talk about goals on the federal level.

The task force recommendations include concrete, measurable steps toward a new approach to supporting young people as they leave care.

Over the coming week, our media website SmartJustice.org will take a closer look at the findings, the proposed model, and how partners plan to work together to put the recommendations into action. There is a lot of momentum around this model and lots of collaboration planned to make it happen.

Thank you to everyone who is a part of this effort, including: Immerse Arkansas, Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services, EverHope, Youth Villages, Tiffany Wright, Mischa Martin, Layne Coleman Moss, Eric Gilmore, Wolfe Street Foundation, Paul Chapman, Karen Phillips

10/22/2026

The biggest barrier to helping your community isn't resources — it's coordination.

Click on the link below to listen to Paul’s full episode, “His Tool Helped 13,000 Families Out of Crisis. Here’s How.”

YouTube: https://bit.ly/4cC3cgp
Spotify: https://bit.ly/4gWllqu
Apple:https://bit.ly/4h3j5hw

10/22/2026

You don’t have to be an expert to help your community 🤎

Click on the link below to listen to Paul’s full episode, “His Tool Helped 13,000 Families Out of Crisis. Here’s How.”

YouTube: https://bit.ly/4cC3cgp
Spotify: https://bit.ly/4gWllqu
Apple:https://bit.ly/4h3j5hw

10/21/2026

Fort Smith was named Capital for a Day! 🎉

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her cabinet visited the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith for a meet and greet with community members and local leaders.

Through a partnership with the Governor's Faith-Based Initiatives office, Restore Hope is working to bring collective impact to communities across Arkansas, connecting organizations, resources, and people to better support individuals and families.

We're especially excited to see this collaboration continue to grow in Sebastian County, where the 10:33 Initiative will officially kick off on November 13!

Together, we're building stronger communities and creating more pathways from crisis to career. 💙

100 Families Initiative of Sebastian County

10/21/2026

A blown tire. Medical equipment insurance won’t cover. For someone just beginning to move out of crisis, an unexpected expense can make hard-earned progress feel like it’s slipping away.

At the October Thrive Iowa Community Alliance meeting in Black Hawk County, community partners discussed the barriers individuals and families face on their journey toward stability, particularly survivors of domestic violence.

The conversation highlighted how even seemingly small setbacks can create significant obstacles for someone working to rebuild their life. That's why collaboration matters. When community partners work together, they can help families navigate unexpected challenges without losing the progress they've worked so hard to achieve.

💙 Read more about the meeting and how Black Hawk County is shifting the narrative around domestic violence through collective impact:

https://smartjustice.org/family-stability/shifting-the-narrative-around-domestic-violence

Thrive Iowa Black Hawk County

10/20/2026

Reserve your spot for this important event on Thursday. For the past 10 months, the Ready for Life Task Force has been studying how Arkansas can best help teens in foster care and those aging out of the system. The task force will be presenting its recommendations to the community.

Restore Hope's Executive Director Paul Chapman and COO Karen Phillips will be among those speaking at the event. We look forward to standing beside our amazing partners in government and the nonprofit sector.

Partners in this effort include: Immerse Arkansas, Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services, Youth Villages, EverHope, and many more.

Let's make Arkansas the best place in the nation to be a teen in foster care or age out.

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