Youth and work
Youth and work The state of the American economy continues to dominate the news, but one statistic is startling and demands our attention ─ the number of employed youth is at the lowest rate since the 1950s. Today only...
Poverty numbers don’t look good for Arkansas
Poverty numbers don’t look good for Arkansas Numbers released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau show poverty is on the rise in Arkansas. The 2011 American Community Survey numbers show that total poverty has increased to just under 20...
Congress breaks promise, votes against working families
Congress breaks promise, votes against working families Leaders in the United States House of Representatives went back on their word last night. Last summer, Congress and the President agreed on a deficit reduction deal that would force equal cuts...
Arkansas Ranked 44th in Recent Assets and Opportunities Scorecard
The Corporation for Enterprise Development released their Assets and Opportunities Scorecard recently, and the news is not great for Arkansas. On balance the state ranks 44 out of 51 (all U.S. states and the District of Columbia), but the...
Arkansas Ranks 47th in Child Well-Being Index
The Foundation for Child Development (FCD) has released a state-by-state Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI). While evaluating the different factors that impact child well-being at the state level, FCD found that higher taxes mean more revenue for vital...
Study on Impact of Family Structure on Economic Mobility Released
The Economic Mobility Project, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts, recently released a report on the impact of a family’s structure on a child’s absolute and relative economic mobility. Family structure is believed to be an important factor...
Protect Arkansans During Deficit Reduction
The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction-the bipartisan Congressional “super” committee tasked with finding at least $1.2 trillion in budget savings-has begun its meetings in Washington. It must present a proposal to the full Congress by November 23 of...
Arkansas Kids DO Count: What it takes to be #1
Arkansas Kids DO Count: What it takes to be ranked #1 It would be nice to tell others that the people of Arkansas care more about their children and youth than any other state. It would certainly be reassuring...
State Tax Increases Don’t Lead to Migration
States can raise taxes to generate much needed revenue and close state budget gaps without worrying about whether its citizens will move to other states as a result. A new report issued last week by the Center on Budget...
Our View of the Federal Deficit Deal
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Statement on Deficit Reduction Deal Today’s vote on the deficit deal will keep America from defaulting on its financial obligations and prevent a collapse of the nation’s economy. It had to be done....