Preemption is the process by which a higher level of government (usually the state) restricts or eliminates the ability of a lower level (local government) to regulate certain issues. Learn more about how preemption operates in Arkansas, including trends and recent actions eroding local control in our latest white paper.

We Cannot Stop Until Every Child Has Health Insurance All Arkansans want our children to grow up healthy, safe, and supported. For more than two decades, Arkansas has worked to expand access to health coverage as a foundation for child well-being. ARKids First has helped hundreds of thousands of families access the care they need, […]

Data Demonstrates Disparity Across School Districts Despite decades of research showing the significant positive impact of sexual health education on children’s long-term outcomes, Arkansas students still generally have limited access to such programs in school. According to analysis of the results from a recent survey and data request of all the state’s public school districts […]

See what happened at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families in our 2024 annual report, now available. For our list of 2024 donors, please visit aradvocates.org/donors

Between January 13 and May 5, Arkansas’s 95th General Assembly passed 1,043 bills. Many of the new laws will impact Arkansas’s children and their families. From fast-tracked Medicaid coverage for certain pregnant women to universal free school breakfasts, our Kids at the Capitol 2025 Legislative Summary covers it all. Read about the good laws that […]

Arkansas has the highest hunger rate in the nation, but participation in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is relatively low here. That is due in part to state-level barriers to enrollment, a new report has found. The Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) report released today, “State SNAP Policies Are Failing Arkansas’s […]

In 2024, Arkansas Advocates held a series of focus groups with women around the state who were pregnant or had recently given birth. The corresponding white paper, Arkansas’s Maternal Health Crisis: Women Across the State Share their Experiences and Views, explores common themes Arkansas Advocates staff heard from our focus group participants. One clear takeaway […]

A new report by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families finds that Arkansas child labor violations increased significantly over the past decade, both at the state and federal level. The number of cases, violations and penalties were all on the rise in the years immediately before Arkansas rolled back an important child labor employment certificate […]

As we honor veterans this week, it’s important to remember that they often have complex health needs when they return home from their service. In Arkansas, our Medicaid program provides critical access to health services for veterans – a fact that is often overlooked in health coverage conversations. In fact, when Arkansas expanded Medicaid 10 […]

Arkansas Not on Track for Insurance Coverage for Arkansas’s Children Every year, our Finish Line report provides a snapshot of the previous year’s progress toward ensuring all children have insurance coverage in our state. Last year was an uncommon year for health coverage in Arkansas, making it important that recent context is included in the […]