Arkansas has made major gains improving children’s access to health coverage, according to the annual Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. With only six percent of children in the state uninsured, we are just below...
The 2015 KIDS COUNT® Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation points out that more than 200,000 children are living in poverty in Arkansas. That’s almost 30 percent – close to one third – of all children in...
This legislative session was filled with missed opportunities. Lawmakers passed bills that weren’t good for families of color. As Arkansas becomes a more diverse state, it is important for Arkansas’s economic and social future that all people have a...
Statement from Rich Huddleston on the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold health reform credits: The Supreme Court made the right decision. Tax credits for health coverage benefit millions of people in the U.S., including about 50,000 Arkansans. The Supreme...
ARKids First has been hugely successful in providing health coverage for kids in Arkansas, despite growing child poverty rates. While the number of children living in poverty has increased to almost 30 percent since 2008, the percentage of children...
Arkansans could lose $537 million in tax credits for health plans purchased on the insurance marketplace based on the outcome of the upcoming Supreme Court decision in King v. Burwell. These tax credits lower the costs of health coverage...
One in five young children experience serious concerns with emotions and behavior. Mental health issues can lead to behavior problems in young students and disciplinary action that keeps kids out of the classroom. A new strategic plan released today...
A new federal law provides an opportunity for Arkansas to expand children’s health coverage while spending less at the state level. We need to make sure we take advantage of this opportunity while also ensuring that any cost savings...
While the health care system has been the target of many of the proposed bills filed during the legislation session, one important issue has practically gone unmentioned—access to adequate behavioral health services for children. These gaps continue to make...
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) would like to publicly thank the U.S. Senate for passing a bill that extends funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), better known as ARKids First here in Arkansas. Arkansas’s delegation, both...