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 […]

Arkansas’s Medicaid program helps keep our state’s labor force healthy. Having insurance protects part-time workers, caregivers, and lower-income families from financial hardship and provides peace of mind to many across the state. With insurance coverage, people can address health concerns early rather than going without until they require emergency care. Our Medicaid expansion program for […]

A Blueprint for the Future DOWNLOAD THIS PUBLICATION If Arkansas is to reduce poverty and increase opportunity for its children and families, we must reduce the state’s teen birth rate. To do that, we have to change what we’re doing. A hodgepodge of local policies and inequitable education isn’t going to get us out of […]

Arkansas only thrives when workers thrive In Arkansas, people, and not corporations, drive the economy. The labor and skills of Arkansas workers build prosperity in the state. Therefore, hardworking Arkansans deserve public spending and policies that support them. An inclusive economy is a smart economy, as the more workers who can fully participate, the more […]

What a year 2023 was! Since the Arkansas General Assembly held their general session in 2023, much of what you will read in this report is focused on our policy advocacy efforts. Our staff helped get six bills from our legislative agenda introduced. During the regular session alone, Arkansas Advocates staff testified 23 times before […]

Whether you have children or not, the well-being of our state’s kids is critical to everyone’s future. As advocates, it’s up to us to make sure voters and candidates are aware of the issues that matter most. Election years are an excellent time to call attention to the ways we can make Arkansas a better […]