A new report from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) finds that a startling number of children in the state who are eligible for ARKids First are either unenrolled or are being dropped from the program because of enrollment barriers and red tape. The report, Crossing the Finish Line: Moving Toward Covering All Kids, […]
After decades of attempts and more than a year of debate in the current Congress, the final health reform package passed both chambers and has been signed by President Obama last week. Details on the potential impacts of the original Senate bill and companion “fixes” bill continue to emerge, but child advocates should rest assured […]
This year promises to be an important year for elections at the state and national level. Child advocates and citizens need to get children and families into the minds and platforms of candidates before Election Day. That will ensure kids get the attention they deserve and have a voice in the Arkansas Capitol when policies […]
2009 was a demanding year for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. We spent much of the year working to make us a more effective advocacy organization. We developed a new strategic plan—with new goals and priorities—to help guide and focus our work in the new decade. We worked with our partners to assess our […]
Congress could make pivotal tax policy decisions this year that will affect our fiscal outlook, government policies, and shape our economy for decades. Virtually all of the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 expire at the end of this year. Members of Congress and the President have already signaled that some of the tax […]
Health reform continues to progress through the House and Senate. On Saturday, November 7, the House of Representatives passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2009 bill by 220 votes. On the Senate side, lawmakers approved the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, early on December 24, 2009 by 60 votes. AACF thanks […]
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) offers an unprecedented opportunity to invest in programs and systems that will lay the foundation for a healthier, better-prepared, and economically stable workforce. Arkansas stands to receive as much as $720 million in new dollars based on the a minimum 6.33 percent increase in the Medicaid matching rate, […]
Last year, Gov. Mike Beebe and Arkansas lawmakers extended ARKids First health coverage to more uninsured Arkansas kids. Now, even as more and more families are facing their own budget crises, the governor is considering rolling back this coverage to save state dollars. It’s no secret that rising health care costs can erode family budgets, […]
National health care reform remains at the center of attention at AACF. With legislative action moving quickly, it is important our network remain alert and focused on ensuring that our congressional delegation supports comprehensive health reform that is good for our state and our children. This issue of Moving Families Forward provides an update on […]
Low- and middle-income families in Arkansas pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than do the richest families in Arkansas, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. “Arkansas lawmakers may be forced to make difficult tax and spending decisions in the upcoming year,” […]