Each year, law enforcement action is taken in more than 3,000 incidents in Arkansas schools. Just last month, 12 students were arrested at a single Pine Bluff high school, allegedly after a fight. All students were between 14 and 15 years old and each was charged with disorderly conduct. There were no reports of weapons or serious […]

Because ARKids First is a vital link to health services for so many of our state’s children, we must very carefully consider any changes to coverage options. In Arkansas, 52 percent of children receive coverage through ARKids First (Arkansas’s Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP). CHIP can be tailored to meet the needs of the state and provides coverage […]

The wisest investment Arkansas can make in its people is to provide quality pre-K. Arkansas is a poor state where almost one-third of our children live in poverty and more than 60 percent are eligible for free and reduced lunches. Failing to ensure that these children are ready to learn when they start school greatly […]

Beginning on October 1, 2013, more than 500,000 uninsured Arkansans had a new opportunity to access comprehensive and affordable health coverage through the Affordable Care Act and Arkansas’s Private Option. More than 44,000 people signed up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace during the first open enrollment period from October 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014. As […]

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 2014, DHS must submit and seek approval from HHS to make the following changes: • Creation […]

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 and has been the most effective measure ever enacted to help families leave poverty behind. 2. Without […]

Children who participate in pre-K, particularly low-income children, are better prepared for kindergarten.

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 care for one to three years. Arkansas is looking for ways to reduce the amount of […]

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 by consumers and assisters to inform improvements to the consumer experience. The results of 823 consumer […]

Common Core standards are benchmarks of what students know and should be able to do at every grade level.