Domestic Violence Resources and Safety for Single Mothers in Arkansas

Where to start

The safest first step depends on what is happening right now. Pick the card that matches your situation. An advocate can help you slow down, talk through risk, and decide what order to do things in.

Quick reference table

Use this table when you need a simple next step. If it is not safe to make a call from your own device, ask an advocate, school, clinic, library, or trusted person about safer ways to reach help.

Shelter, advocacy, and crisis support in Arkansas

The Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence connects survivors with local programs through its shelter map. ACADV says shelter addresses are available only upon request. That is normal. Programs may ask questions before sharing a location because families already in shelter need privacy.

The ACADV shelter directory lists programs across the state. For example, it lists Women and Children First in Little Rock at 800-332-4443 and Peace at Home in Fayetteville at 877-442-9811. Phone first rather than going to a confidential shelter address. A directory entry does not mean there is an open bed.

When you call, you can share only what is safe to share. You can ask whether the program can help with safety planning, emergency shelter, court advocacy, transportation, counseling, food, school needs, and referrals. If one shelter is full, ask the advocate whether another county, nearby state, hotel option, or partner program can be checked.

For younger mothers and teens, Love is Respect offers dating abuse support by phone, chat, or text. Native survivors and relatives can contact StrongHearts for confidential and culturally specific domestic and sexual violence support.

Orders of protection in Arkansas

An order of protection is a civil court order. It is not the same as a criminal no-contact order, divorce order, custody order, or child support order. These papers can overlap, so ask legal aid or an advocate before assuming one order changes another.

The Arkansas court page says there is no charge to file a petition for an order of protection. It also says circuit clerk offices are required to have the needed forms, and many domestic violence shelters or county offices have victim advocates who can help with the petition and affidavit.

Where to file: Arkansas Law Help says you can ask the circuit clerk in the county where you live, where the other person lives, where the abuse happened, or where your shelter is. You do not need a lawyer to file. There is no filing fee; ask the clerk about any later costs if a case is dismissed or court findings affect fees. Do not assume a court order by itself makes you safe—keep a safety plan with an advocate.

A judge may issue a temporary order if there is enough evidence of immediate danger. Under Arkansas law, the court must set a full hearing within 30 days after filing or the next court date, whichever is later. Service problems may lead to another date. If a temporary order is denied, you can still seek a full hearing. A final order, if granted after a hearing, generally lasts 90 days to 10 years. See Arkansas Law Help’s order guide and the Attorney General’s Laura’s Card resources. The other person may receive your petition and affidavit through court service, so ask about protecting your address before filing.

Food, cash aid, health care, and child care after abuse

Leaving abuse can mean losing access to money, a car, documents, child care, food, or health coverage. Arkansas public benefits may help, but approval is not guaranteed. Rules depend on your household, income, documents, immigration or citizenship facts, program funding, and case details.

The Arkansas DHS apply-for-services page explains where to start. Use Access Arkansas to apply for SNAP, TEA, Medicaid, ARKids First, and other health coverage. For in-person help, use the DHS county office map or call 855-372-1084. Ask DHS to use a safe number and address, and say if the other parent may be reading your mail or messages.

SNAP food help

The Arkansas DHS SNAP page explains food assistance for eligible households. If you have very little food or money, ask DHS whether faster processing rules may apply. For more next steps, use ASMOM’s Arkansas SNAP guide.

TEA cash help

Arkansas TANF cash assistance is called Transitional Employment Assistance, or TEA. The state TEA page says it can include monthly cash assistance and work-related supports such as transportation and child care. Ask DHS about safety before giving information that could reveal your location. ASMOM’s Arkansas TEA guide can help you prepare questions.

TEA and safety: Arkansas TEA rules allow a person to ask for a work-activity deferral when domestic violence makes participation unsafe. Ask your caseworker what proof is needed and whether the rule applies to you. See the TEA policy and domestic violence resources.

WIC, health care, and child care

Pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding mothers and young children may be able to use Arkansas WIC. Children may qualify for ARKids First. The Arkansas Office of Early Childhood says its School Readiness Assistance program helps some low-income families pay for child care. ASMOM also has guides for Arkansas WIC, Arkansas health coverage, and Arkansas child care.

Crime victim compensation

The Arkansas Crime Victims Reparations Board may cover certain costs after a violent crime that caused injury or death, such as eligible medical or counseling expenses. It does not pay for stolen property or pain and suffering, and approval is not guaranteed. Its forms page provides application options. The state’s eligibility rule generally calls for a report to authorities within 72 hours and an application within one year. The board can allow late reporting or filing for good cause. Ask an advocate about these exceptions if reporting sooner was unsafe or impossible. Do not put yourself in danger just to meet a deadline.

Housing rights, rent help, and safer moves

If you live in public housing, have a Housing Choice Voucher, or live in certain federally assisted housing, the Violence Against Women Act may protect you from being denied housing or evicted only because you are a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. HUD’s HUD VAWA page explains housing protections and forms.

You may also be able to request an emergency transfer from a covered housing provider. Ask your housing authority or property manager for its VAWA emergency transfer plan. To find your local housing authority, use HUD’s PHA contacts. For more Arkansas rent and shelter paths, use ASMOM’s Arkansas housing help.

Ask before giving proof: For a HUD-covered VAWA request, a housing provider may use HUD forms and confidentiality rules. Some requests may be supported by the survivor’s own certification. A safe unit must be available for an internal emergency transfer; a request does not guarantee one. Tell the housing provider if an ordinary email, mailed notice, or phone call may put you at risk.

Child support, custody, and safety

Child support can help children, but it can also create safety concerns when the other parent is abusive. Arkansas OCSE has a child support safety page for parents worried that a case could put them or their children in danger.

Some families receiving TEA, Medicaid, or SNAP have child support cooperation duties, but the rule depends on who gets which benefit and the case type. Arkansas OCSE explains the cooperation rules. If working with child support puts you or a child at risk, tell DHS you want to claim good cause, and alert your child support caseworker. Under Arkansas Rule 9 CAR § 2-902, you may claim good cause at any point in the case; OCSE stops case activity when notified of the claim, and activity may resume if the claim is denied. Arkansas TEA rules also say TEA should not be reduced or denied only because a good-cause claim is pending when other eligibility rules are met. Read ASMOM’s Arkansas child support guide for more background.

Custody and visitation are legal questions. A protection order, custody order, divorce case, child support case, and criminal no-contact order can affect each other. Get legal help before assuming one paper changes another paper.

Address privacy and records

Arkansas has an Address Confidentiality Program through Driver Services. Under Driver Services forms and the ACP affidavit, a qualifying person with a valid order of protection may request a driver’s license that shows a post office box rather than a home address. The state still keeps the true residence address in its files. This is a limited driver’s license address rule, not a general promise to hide all court, school, benefits, or child support records.

This program is not the same as making every record private. If you are filing court papers, applying for benefits, enrolling a child in school, dealing with housing, or using child support services, ask each office how to protect your address, phone number, school, employer, and safe contact information.

Documents and information checklist

Do not risk your safety to gather papers. Bring or save only what you can get safely. If papers are missing, ask the office what substitutes may work. For a broader list, use ASMOM’s documents checklist.

Denied benefits or told to leave housing?

Save the notice and date you got it, if that is safe. Arkansas DHS has a File an Appeal page. It says requests for a hearing about a SNAP denial are normally due within 90 calendar days of the notice date. For a Medicaid eligibility denial or TEA denial, it says the Office of Appeals and Hearings generally must get the request within 30 calendar days of the notice date. A closed case may have its own instructions. Read your exact notice; do not wait if the deadline is close.

You can request a hearing in writing as directed in your notice. Ask a DHS office or legal aid for help if you do not have your paperwork or you need a safe mailing address. If a landlord rejects a request tied to abuse, or you face eviction, ask legal aid about VAWA and Arkansas tenant law before missing a court date. A legal aid worker can help you decide what rights apply to your home.