The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) recently submitted waiver amendments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make several changes to the Private Option beginning February 1, 2015. As required by Act 257 of...
A state-level refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the most widely accepted and successful methods of fighting poverty and encouraging workforce participation. A state-level EITC in Arkansas would promote economic opportunity and ensure that all Arkansans families...
5 things you should know about the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) 1. Both sides of the aisle are singing the praises of EITC programs. Since its inception, the EITC has received broad bipartisan approval because it supports working Americans...
The Private Option has increased payments to Arkansas Hospitals and reduced the number of uninsured patients treated. Last week, the Arkansas Hospital Association and Arkansas Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association released a study that took a look...
A new report by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families found the number of uninsured children (under 18) in Arkansas declined by 31 percent between 2008 and 2013. During this five year period over 17,000 children gained...
A statement from AACF Executive Director Rich Huddleston on last night’s elections in Arkansas: Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families would like to congratulate all of the Arkansas candidates on their victories last night. Now that the elections are...
Here in Arkansas, many parents, educators, and business leaders agree that pre-K is a valuable and effective strategy for preparing children for the future. Students who participated in the Arkansas Better Chance program scored 11 percentage points higher in Math...
Arkansas took in more tax revenue than expected last month. October general revenues came in over 8 percent (or $30 million) higher than last year, and 4.7 percent (or $18.2 million) above forecast. Two categories accounted for most of...
A COLA is more than a tasty soft drink. In policymaking and economics, COLA stands for “cost of living adjustment.” Prices of goods (like groceries, rent, healthcare, transportation, electricity, etc.) and services (like haircuts, teaching, legal services, car maintenance,...
Last week, the joint legislative education committee met to make spending recommendations in education. The committee made a few recommendations that involved more spending. They suggested putting more money towards technology, substitute teachers, and English language learners (ELL). Alternative...