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A Tax and Budget Blueprint for a Better Arkansas

What if Arkansas were a national leader in children’s education and health? What if we had one of the lowest rates of child poverty in the nation instead of one of the highest? What if our abused and neglected children received the attention they deserved from caseworkers who weren’t overloaded? It’s not impossible. We can […]

Arkansas Needs Paid Family Leave: How to create a healthier workforce and economy

A lack of paid family leave programs in Arkansas leaves many families, particularly low-income families, in poor physical and financial health. Achieving statewide paid family leave is a great change, but a significant one. A few baby steps toward that ultimate goal could help inform a comprehensive policy that is tailored to Arkansas’s specific needs, and calm the fears that some […]

Infographic: Arkansas Families Need Paid Leave

Paid leave allows employees to take time off to care for a new baby or a relative with a serious illness, without losing all of their income. Paid leave helps families stay financially and physically healthy. From an economic standpoint, offering paid leave can benefit employers, too. It can help employers save on hiring and training […]

What do #ARKidsNeed from birth to age eight?

#ARKidsNeed Download the Print Version Consistent health insurance coverage. Expanded access to health care. Moms who have quality prenatal care. Full immunization screenings. Proper dental care. Regular check-ups to catch health issues early. Mental health care from certified providers. Quality pre-K and early childhood education. Parents who teach early literacy by reading and talking. After […]

The Credit They Deserve: Federal EITC Participation in Arkansas

Working family tax credits pump millions of dollars into the Arkansas economy. But millions more are left on the table every year when eligible Arkansans don’t claim their credits. Arkansas needs a coordinated, statewide effort to get more families to claim their federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). An outreach campaign that increases participation by […]

Who’s Getting Credit?

Working family tax credits pump millions of dollars into the Arkansas economy. But millions more are left on the table every year when eligible Arkansans don’t claim their credits. Arkansas needs a coordinated, statewide effort to get more families to claim their federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). An outreach campaign that increases participation by […]

The State of Working Arkansas

Arkansas’ economy is gaining speed. However, low-income groups, minorities, and less-educated workers are being left behind. The new jobs and pay raises mostly benefit people who are already well-off. And recent policy changes have made unemployment insurance less accessible. African Americans in Arkansas are still more likely to be stuck at part-time jobs when they […]

Kids at the Capitol 2015

This legislative session, like many others before it, had its ups and downs. The children and families of Arkansas won some, but suffered some major losses as well. The Private Option, Arkansas’s version of Medicaid expansion, will continue to provide health coverage for low-income Arkansans, at least through 2016. However, changes are likely on the horizon. Our state’s […]