Arkansas DHS collecting backpacks for foster children during Child Abuse Awareness Month

MILLER COUNTY, Ark. (KSLA) - April is a special time of the year to help a group of children who cannot help themselves, and leaders with the Arkansas Department of Human Services are hoping the community responds.

“Pack With a Purpose” was started 11 years ago by Alexis Lampkins with the Arkansas DHS. The program is designed to help kids in foster care by providing them with a backpack and other small necessities.

“We understand children that are removed sometimes come with nothing, and we work together as a community and make sure that no child has a trash bag. Either they have a backpack or they have a luggage.”

April is Child Abuse Prevention month, and Lampkins said this is an opportunity for the community to contribute to the backpack program.

[CHECK OUT LAST YEAR’S EVENT: DHS office in Miller Co. collecting backpacks full of supplies]

“We understand that just removal of itself is a traumatic thing for the children and we want to make sure that they don’t feel they are just throwed away. Anything we do for our own personal children, we want to make sure our foster children have the same.”

Lampkin said more than 200 children are in foster care in Area 4, which consists of eight Arkansas counties.

A major fundraiser for this program is the Bowl-A-Thon, set for later this month. If you want to participate, you have until Friday, April 7 to sign up. You can register by contacting the Miller County Department of Human Services.

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