In the first week of March, the Arkansas Times exposed the "rehoming" of two young girls adopted by Rep. Justin Harris with another family, where one of the girls was then sexually abused. In the following week, we uncovered the broader story, including Harris' abuse of his position of power to secure the initial adoption and his reliance on troubling, pseudoscientific disciplinary measures in caring for the two girls and their older sister, who had histories of abuse prior to the adoption. 

The Harris story isn’t finished. There is more to report. We’ll cover those aspects of it in the days and weeks to come. But we want to quickly move beyond Harris to investigate broader questions about the state's child welfare system. Our reporting has exposed us to dozens upon dozens of sources who have stories and access to share. What they’ve told us has convinced us of the need to continue what is looking like a massive investigative project.

Our reporting on Justin Harris and rehoming demonstrates the Arkansas Times' commitment to deep reporting on subjects otherwise ignored by media. The work we've done thus far has inspired Gov. Asa Hutchinson to order a review of adoption and foster practices in Arkansas and may lead to making "rehoming" a crime.

We think there are more important stories to tell. We have a plan for moving forward. We are poised to effect change. 

What we lack is the necessary staff to proceed. To get the second Harris story to press in time, Times reporter Benji Hardy worked 36 straight hours. Other editors worked 70 hour weeks. That’s not sustainable. Our entire staff, of three reporters and three editors, is what a daily newspaper might throw at a project like this. We know we won't ever have resources like that, but we think, with a slightly larger budget, we'll be able devote sufficient staff to this project to continue uncovering misdoings and inspiring policy change. 

We're looking to hire more reporters and editors on a part and full-time basis. If you were moved by our rehoming reporting, we hope you'll consider supporting further efforts.