2012 Child Poverty Update

The child poverty rate in Arkansas, now at 26.8 percent, is higher than the national average and shows a disturbing upward trend that’s likely to continue as the state experiences the effects of the recession. Over the last ten years for which data is available, the poverty rate has increased by just over two percent. […]

2012 Update: Child Poverty in Arkansas

The child poverty rate in Arkansas, now at 26.8 percent, is higher than the national average and shows a disturbing upward trend that’s likely to continue as the state experiences the effects of the recession. Over the last ten years for which data is available, the poverty rate has increased by just over two percent. […]

2011 Annual Report

We never forget that behind every statistic is a living, breathing child. While we work each day to examine the causes of large-scale poverty issues in Arkansas, we are reminded that our work has real impact when we see positive changes for individual families. In 2011, we saw this in the drop in the number […]

Arkansas Youth Justice: The Architecture of Reform

The National Center for Youth Law and the National Council on Crime and Delinquency recently released Arkansas Youth Justice: The Architecture of Reform. The report details efforts to transform the juvenile justice system in Arkansas. The gist? Efforts by government officials, advocates, judges, service providers, youth, and their families have reduced the state’s reliance on secure confinement […]

More Homes for Arkansas Foster Children Available

A new state program will help find more homes for foster children while maintaining important family connections by assisting relatives who are serving as foster parents, according to a new report from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. The new subsidized guardianship program offered by the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services allows family […]

ARKids First Toolkit

So you want to do ARKids First Outreach? Here are some questions you might encounter along the way. Why do we need ARKids First? Health insurance impacts the economic stability of families as well as their health. ARKids First provides affordable and quality health care, especially important as more and more families face economic uncertainty […]

Huge Arkansas Dental Gains Lauded in National Study

A significant increase in the number of low-income children accessing dental services pushed Arkansas up the state rankings in a 50-state report card on children’s dental health released Tuesday. The Pew Children’s Dental Campaign gave Arkansas a “C” grade-up from “F” last year-for ensuring that more than half of the children in the state Medicaid […]