Wonky Word Wednesday: Living wage
Imagine coming home after working a ten hour shift at a minimum wage job. Its pay day, but you’re stuck having to make a tough decision for your family. Your rent is due, you’re running low on groceries for...
News
5 Things You Should Know About Pre-K In Arkansas
Children who participate in pre-K, particularly low-income children, are better prepared for kindergarten.
Reducing a Child’s Time in Foster Care Part 2 of a 3 -Part Series
The uncertainty and instability of foster care can take an emotional toll on children, one that grows with time. Approximately a quarter of the children who entered the foster care system over a fi ve-year period stayed in foster...
Mandatory retention policies could do more harm than good for Arkansas students
Mandatory retention policies without significant resourcing are often ineffective, financially draining, and damaging to student’s emotional health. Since 2002, 15 states have implemented grade level retention policies as a means to combat “social promotion.” States typically focus retention efforts...
AACF welcomes Kerri Michael Sernel
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families is very proud to announce that Kerri Michael Sernel will be joining the AACF staff as our new outreach director. Sernel will help AACF develop and implement strategies to educate and engage citizens...
Organizations launch effort to promote health enrollment
A coalition of health organizations has announced a joint effort to promote enrollment in health coverage in Arkansas. Arkansans For Coverage (AFC) will educate Arkansans about their health coverage options and make it easier to navigate the system and...
Key revenue sources above expectations in August
August net available general revenues are up slightly from last year and beat expectations by $12.3 million (or 3.2 percent) according to today’s report from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. An unanticipated boost in all major revenue...
Success and setbacks in open enrollment prove need for education, outreach
Ninety two percent of consumers who met with in-person assisters (IPAs) were able to get the information they needed about enrolling in health coverage during open enrollment last year, according to a new study. However, those seeking to enroll...
Getting In: Improving consumer-friendly enrollment in Arkansas
The consumer enrollment experience provides an important perspective for improving eligibility determination and successful enrollment in coming years. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) worked with three in-person assister (IPA) sites across Arkansas to collect data reported voluntarily...
AACF welcomes Marquita Little
AACF has a new health care policy director. Marquita Little, currently director of policy and planning in the director’s office at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, will be joining the AACF team in mid-September. She succeeds Anna Strong,...