Poverty has a negative and lasting impact on a student’s education. Research tells us that poverty can physically impact a child’s developing brain and his future ability to learn. Interventions can reverse that harm. But schools are limited in the tools to address these needs. Models such as Community Schools, Harlem Children’s Zone, and Whole Child, Whole […]

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 […]

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 […]

Where does it come from? Where does it go? This guide tells you: • Why school funding matters • Where the money comes from • How school funds can be used to help low-income students • How parents can get involved

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 […]

Download the PDF: What Would it Take to Be Number One 2015

Act 96 of 2015 created the Health Care Reform Legislative Task Force in Arkansas. This task force will determine the future of the Private Option and the Medicaid program. The following principles should guide policymakers as they consider ways to transform and modernize the health care system. Policy changes should meet the health needs of […]

While there were a few bright spots, it was a tough year for racial equity and opportunity at the legislature. Lawmakers passed policies that will limit opportunities for many Arkansas families. They also failed to pass policies that would have given more Arkansans a chance to thrive and succeed in the future. These policies affect […]

ARKids First has been hugely successful in providing health coverage for kids in Arkansas, despite growing child poverty rates. While the number of children living in poverty has increased to almost 30 percent since 2008, the percentage of children without health coverage has remained very low. This news comes as lawmakers meet to discuss possible […]

Early childhood professionals often use the terms early childhood mental health and positive social and emotional development interchangeably. Social development involves skills like communicating needs, getting along with others and making friends. Emotional development involves skills like being able to be soothed when upset, recognizing feelings and expressing them appropriately, and beginning to understand that others have feelings too. When children experience healthy social and […]