Five Years of 100 Families in White County

“As of this month, White County was the very first county in the state of Arkansas, or in the known universe, to actually have 100% of all [child] removals actually having a case manager so that [the families] can work with the community,” said Paul Chapman, Director of Restore Hope.

According to Chapman, that moves a family’s odds of reunification from 43% to almost 80%.

This celebrated achievement came as the 100 Families Initiative of White County celebrated a new milestone this September: the five-year anniversary of the launch of the community-driven program to support families in crisis and help them move into stability.

The event focused both on reflection of the last five years and a look at a few changes happening in White County.

Since its launch, the White County 100 Families Initiative has served 1,586 families, with 403 moving from crisis to career. Local outcomes have reflected the initiative’s emphasis on reunification and stability: 67.48% of children have been reunified with their families, 22.76% have moved into relative custody, and 21.14% have seen parental rights terminated by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) as they see fit. Participants in the program have shown strong employment outcomes as well, with 82.63% retaining their jobs.

Each participant works with an average of eight care team members, reflecting the program’s community-wide collaboration.

“We do our very very best at what we do, but we can't do it all and that’s what makes collective impact and collaboration so important in our communities for our families,” said Dana Baker.

“We have a wealth of knowledge in our own heads and we do what we do, but unless we get families the help they need in all the areas they need they cannot be successful.”

Behind these numbers are real families whose lives have been transformed. Stories of resilience and recovery became the centerpiece of the celebration.

One such story came from participant Chase Stillman. Family advocate Kayla Burgess highlighted his journey through addiction recovery, overwhelming legal debt, and the fight to regain custody of his children. At one point, Stillman owed $19,062 in fines to various courts.

“Judges and community partners extended their grace,” Burgess said.

After consistent payments by Stillman, judges dismissed the remainder of his fines. He and his wife, Mariah, were granted full custody of their three children.

“Six years in the making, we’ve had our full share of ups and downs, but I’m so happy,” said Stillman in a text to his advocate. “The judge even said it’s so rare to see someone come out of a place most people never would return from. I just hope and pray someone hears our testimony and it pulls them from their dark abyss or even just gives a few encouraging words.”

Stillman has since been released from felony supervision and has no outstanding fines, warrants, or community service obligations.

Another testimony came through family advocate Marianna Davenport, who shared the stories of Anthony Miller and Daisy Forrester-Cox. Both faced challenges with DCFS involvement, among others. With the support of 100 Families and partner organizations, they completed parenting classes, received housing, and gained recovery support. Today, they are raising their children in a safe and stable home.

Davenport also read a note from another participant, Alexandra Gunter, who went from crisis to career in the White County 100 Families Program. Gunter expressed gratitude to DCFS and CASA workers, her son’s foster parents who remain an active part of their story, and her 100 Families team. She and her husband now have custody of their son and recently welcomed a new baby.

Reflecting on the power of collaboration, Davenport recalled a question that was posed during a recent training: what is the opposite of addiction?

“His answer was community. Not sobriety, community,” Davenport said, highlighting the role of local partners in family success.

Closing the participant highlights, family advocate Jaimi Matlock shared the story of Mike Belmarez. Initially hesitant to engage, when Belmarez did reach out to 100 Families in 2022, his wife had a terminal cancer diagnosis and he had open cases with DCFS, FINS and Truancy courts. With support from the program and community partners, he began turning his life around.

“April 6th of 2023 my notes say he looks better than I have ever seen him,” Matlock said tearfully.

Today, Belmarez is 43 months sober, all of his cases are closed, and he has gained no new charges.

“I want to thank everybody, everybody!” said Belmarez. “I’m going to keep going with no relapses. I’m just going to keep being a great father and I hope this program keeps going forever because it is a very great help. I love all y’all.”

As White County looks to the future, leadership transitions also marked the evening. Elizabeth Ellis was announced as the new coordinator for White and Woodruff counties. Ellis has nearly 25 years of social work experience, she has a master’s in human services and is currently working towards an educational specialist degree in counseling.

“When I walked in and met her, I was like this is it, she’s our girl,” said Baker.

Ellis emphasized how wonderful the community has been as she steps into this new role and she praised the partners in the room for their dedication to families.

“We have people that have been touched by everybody in this room that are willing to share their stories…and to me that says a lot about what our community does,” said Ellis. “That participants in this community are willing to come share the impact that you've had.”

The event concluded with Chapman honoring Baker for her role in beginning the work of the 100 Families Initiative of White County. A video was played highlighting the almost eight years she has spent working for Restore Hope and 100 Families. Baker was also presented with a gift.

Together, Ellis’s new leadership and Baker’s legacy reflect both the strong roots and continued growth of the White County initiative.