Arkansas is ranked at the top of all states for having the most children at risk of food insecurity. Nearly 25 percent of Arkansas children are at risk of being hungry, according to research conducted by Feeding America from 2006 to 2008. Arkansas also has the fastest growing rate of food insecurity since the last study, with a 6 percent increase.

We’re back again with more exciting news about healthcare in Arkansas. We know it will take years to implement all of the changes to our system via health reform. But did you know that there are also immediate benefits that will accessible this year, including incentives for small businesses?

Thousands of jobless Arkansans got a much-needed lifeline Tuesday when Senator Blanche Lincoln and Senator Mark Pryor joined 58 other Senate colleagues to extend unemployment insurance to people impacted by the economic downturn.

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 7 out of the 10 deaths caused by chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease could be prevented with regular check-ups and screenings. We have been told time and time again by doctors and other health professionals that a focus on prevention is critical to maintaining a healthy population.  Individuals and their families require preventative services to determine and address health risks before they become a problem.

We’ve worked hard to try and make clear the many reasons health reform is a major win for Arkansas (see previous blog posts here, here and here).   Among policymakers and politicians, it’s hard to go long without hearing about the high cost of implementing reform at the state-level. Of particular concern is the cost of the state’s Medicaid program and its expansion to many more uninsured adults in 2014.  Besides saving money from having a healthier population, there are several reasons why this logic is false:

Advocates urge state and federal officials to find solutions now

With all the excitement about health reform and the success of ARKids First in our state, it's sometimes easy to assume we've got coverage for kids accomplished. But our new report makes it clear we are nowhere near checking that box. While the promise of health reform is certainly exciting, we can make children winners TODAY by taking steps to cover all kids and incorporate our lessons learned into our work to extend coverage to thousands of Arkansas adults in 2014 once health reform is fully implemented.

National Report Highlights Importance of Grade Level Reading to Students, State and Economy

The more than 400 children waiting for adoption in Arkansas today now have a better chance at being adopted by loving homes more quickly thanks to Circuit Judge Chris Piazza's decision to overturn Act 1.