The Arkansas Insurance Department is quickly moving forward with its efforts to build a health insurance Exchange by January 2014. Though Arkansas will have a federally-facilitated Exchange, stakeholders are working to ensure that the state has a strong role in its implementation. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) says consumer-based principles, with a particular focus on Arkansas families, should guide decision-making on the exchange.

Arkansas has made access to quality early childhood education a priority over the last two decades, but high-quality programs for low-income families are either at full capacity or their funding has been stagnant for years. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) released a report today detailing the state of access to pre-K programs in Arkansas and calling for their expansion.

All children can learn and excel in school if they have the opportunity and the resources needed to be successful. A new report from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families urges the state of Arkansas to commit to making sure all children – no matter their background or zip code – have access to the same educational opportunities. These recommendations are part of what could become a Student Bill of Rights, guaranteeing every student the Opportunity to Learn. The Arkansas Public Policy Panel, the Arkansas Citizens First Congress, and the Arkansas Opportunity to Learn Campaign have endorsed the report.

Nobody likes paying taxes. But our tax dollars fund important public services like schools, roads and highways, police protection, and a ton of other things we take for granted.

Over 200,000 people in Arkansas are considered alcohol or drug dependent. Eighty percent of those suffering from addiction can't get access to treatment or recovery services. This creates huge costs down the road. What's being done about this in our state? Paul Kelly authored this report.

It's been two years since the passage of the Affordable Care Act. We've got lots of good info on our AR Voices blog, including an interview with Clinton School of Public Service student Marc Peters on how the law has improved his life. 

New figures on child poverty compiled by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families show a disturbing upward trend that is likely to continue as our economy slowly recovers. The child poverty rate in Arkansas now stands at 26.8 percent, a number that is significantly higher than the national average of 20.1 percent.

Report outlines challenges remaining for covering kids

Subsidized guardianship program allows more children to find stable, loving homes with relatives who are licensed foster parents.

A new report from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation explores the challenges and lessons learned during the evolution of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families into an anchor institution in Arkansas. It tells the story of the tough issues that ACCF has taken on in the state and the ways the organization has influenced public policy that has improved the lives of children and families in Arkansas. The foundation says the report is an opportunity to document the work of AACF and to reflect together on our ability to impact, influence, and leverage resources for positive change in Arkansas.