Open Arms

Beginning in 1986,

Lonoke Open Arms began providing emergency safe housing for Arkansas’ children who have been abused and/or neglected. These children range in age from birth up to 18 years of age. Lonoke Open Arms is one of the few organizations in the state that will accept children under the age of eight, teenage mothers with their children and large sibling groups.

In addition to a room, the children receive three home-cooked meals a day, snacks, and around the clock supervision by our highly experienced staff. The children attend public school, receive individualized behavior instruction and management plus receive instruction on basic life skills. Recognizing the need to mentor teens for a longer period of time and teach them independent living skills and equipping them with the tools they need to succeed in adult life, a new wing was added in 2011. Today, Lonoke Open Arms has the ability to serve 24 children at a time, whether by emergency or long-term care, depending on the needs of the children.

Children come to our facility from every imaginable type of crisis. It is not unusual for a child to hide food because they have grown accustomed to not knowing when or where their next meal will come. Many times, a child will arrive in tears because of their tragic situation and then leave in tears because Lonoke Open Arms was truly the only caring environment they have ever experienced. Their stay with Lonoke Open Arms may provide the basis for hope that will stay with them and positively influence them for a lifetime.