In these difficult economic times, Arkansas faces major challenges in meeting the needs of vulnerable children and families. Decreasing tax revenues and growing demand for services and support require tough decisions, thoughtful approaches and the political courage to balance...
July 2010: Unemployment assistance, child nutrition and more An Update on the Federal Tax and Budget System As Congress heads toward its annual August recess, both the House and Senate are busy working to pass key pieces of legislation...
We’re back again with more exciting news about healthcare in Arkansas. We know it will take years to implement all of the changes to our system via health reform. But did you know that there are also immediate benefits...
Arkansas is ranked at the top of all states for having the most children at risk of food insecurity. Nearly 25 percent of Arkansas children are at risk of being hungry, according to research conducted by Feeding America from...
The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 7 out of the 10 deaths caused by chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease could be prevented with regular check-ups and screenings. We have been told time and...
We’ve worked hard to try and make clear the many reasons health reform is a major win for Arkansas (see previous blog posts here, here and here). Among policymakers and politicians, it’s hard to go long without hearing about...
Advocates urge state and federal officials to find solutions now As of this morning, July 1, 2010, thousands of Arkansas children have lost access to child care. Funding for child care from theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of...
This report discusses how LGBT youth are disproportionately affected by the juvenile justices system and more likely to be funneled into the deep end of the system. It addresses the particular challenges that they face once there, and the...
With all the excitement about health reform and the success of ARKids First in our state, it’s sometimes easy to assume we’ve got coverage for kids accomplished. But our new report makes it clear we are nowhere near checking...
The 2006 report After School Programs in Arkansas: A Solution Whose Time has Come outlined the positive impacts that afterschool and summer programs have by keeping children safe, supporting working families and inspiring Arkansas children to learn. New research...