The following letter was sent to Gov. Asa Hutchinson by evangelical leaders in Arkansas.

February 27, 2017

Dear Governor Asa Hutchinson,

Shepherding the Next Generation is a membership network made up of 900 evangelical pastors and ministry leaders from all around the country. We are committed to caring for and speaking out on behalf of children living in at-risk circumstances.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6

We are writing together as evangelical pastors and ministry leaders throughout the state of
Arkansas to share about why we believe that high-quality early education is necessary to build
strong families and an investment in our communities. We ask you to increase the state’s
investment in the pre-kindergarten program, Arkansas Better Chance (ABC). This program will continue to move us forward in providing quality early education in Arkansas. We appreciate and are in support of Governor Asa Hutchinson’s proposed $3 million increase for the program in his state budget recommendations. We encourage additional state investments, as they are needed to ensure that children receive the highest-quality pre-kindergarten services. High-quality early childhood education builds strong families by ensuring parents are able to provide for their families. Across the state, too many of our young children are growing up unprepared to be productive citizens, unprepared to lead their families. They started behind due to troubling family situations and we are letting them fall behind to perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” Psalm 127:3

To obtain these beneficial results, pre-k must be high-quality. We have good reason to be proud
of the good education our state pre-k program has provided to our youngest children, but the
Arkansas Better Chance program must strive to continuously improve program quality to
continuously improve outcomes for our state. It is vital to the health of our families and the future success of our children that Arkansas offers a high-quality early childhood education. May God continue to bless you and use you mightily for His kingdom! Thank you for taking the time to consider our request.

“I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15

Blessings,