EXCLUSIVE: How RFK Jr.’s HHS Is Finding America’s Missing Kids

Eight missing children were safely recovered last week during a multi-agency operation led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and state officials in Arkansas. 

Operation HOPE Arkansas began on August 18 and brought together HHS, Arkansas State Police, the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Children and Family Services, and other law enforcement and child-welfare partners.

The operation began with four reported cases of missing foster children in Arkansas, with officials recovering three of them on the operation’s first day. Investigators responded to six additional cases that emerged during the four-day effort. 

In total, the operation involved 10 missing children, eight of whom were safely recovered or located, including two Colorado foster children found in Arkansas. The cases involved children missing from foster and residential placements, an alleged child abduction, and cases showing indicators of possible human trafficking. Authorities are continuing to search for two Arkansas foster children who remain missing.

“Every missing child case demands an immediate, coordinated response,” Arkansas Human Trafficking Coordinator Sgt. Matt Foster said. “Operation HOPE brought together the expertise and resources of law enforcement, child welfare professionals, and federal partners to locate vulnerable children, investigate the circumstances surrounding their disappearance, and ensure they receive the support they need once they are found.”

Operation HOPE was first launched in Mississippi in May during which officials recovered 13 of the 15 missing children they were searching for. The operation’s success in May prompted HHS officials to expand the initiative nationwide, making Arkansas the program’s second target.

“Every child in foster care deserves protection, so when they go missing, it is our utmost responsibility to bring them home,” Administration for Children and Families Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams said. “When the Trump administration launched Operation Hope in May, we promised to replicate its success across the nation. We are proud to have done so with Arkansas, and we will keep working until every child in the nation is accounted for and safe.”

The operation builds on Arkansas’ VALOR initiative, a statewide coalition created in January 2024 to improve the response to missing and endangered children. At the time, Arkansas had between 40 and 50 foster children reported missing. Following Operation HOPE, the HHS Administration for Children and Families says that number has fallen to just two missing children.

Operation HOPE is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to support children in foster care. In April, Secretary Kennedy announced that his department would prioritize early intervention for parents battling addiction rather than waiting until families reach a crisis point.

“Too often, government intervenes after addiction has already pushed a family into crisis, and a child is at risk of entering foster care,” Kennedy said. “We want to intervene before that happens.”

First lady Melania Trump has also spearheaded the administration’s effort through her Fostering the Future initiative, which seeks to expand housing assistance, educational scholarships, and financial literacy programs. Shortly before Trump Accounts launched on July 4, 2026, the first lady partnered with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to allow state and tribal child welfare agencies to open and manage accounts for eligible foster children, ensuring they can get Trump Accounts even without a parent or guardian available to enroll them.