LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Department of Human Services, DHS Division of Children and Family Services hosted its annual Foster Family of the Year Gala Thursday night at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
Mary Thornton of Marianna was named Arkansas’ 2026 Foster Family of the Year at the close of the evening. The gala, held during National Foster Care Month, honored 10 foster families, one from each DCFS service area, for their dedication to supporting children and families.
Group rides horseback from Bentonville to Little Rock to deliver letters on foster care
About 3,400 children are currently in foster care across Arkansas, DHS officials said. Each year, family service workers, child advocates and fellow foster parents nominate families who exceed expectations in caring for vulnerable children and supporting their families.
Thornton, a therapeutic foster parent, has cared for some of Arkansas’ most vulnerable children and youth for more than three decades. She specializes in working with teenagers, including many with challenging behaviors…