For the staff at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, election years are exciting. Many policies and laws that don’t often get much attention can become a major part of the election debate. That increases their importance for candidates, the media, and the public. But the opposite can also be true. Without advocacy from people […]

The state of Black women’s health is in critical condition, due to the systemic racism, discrimination, and implicit bias that Black women face within the health care system. To combat the intersecting factors that create an inequitable health care experience for Black women, aggressive strategies must be implemented. This brief will provide an overview of […]

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Reauthorization Act of 2014 requires state-led child care agencies to submit a plan every three years that outlines their state child care policies and plans for using their Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) resources. The CCDF is a federal and state partnership program to help families […]

We all want to live in a great state where everyone can thrive and achieve economic prosperity. But Arkansas consistently ranks near the bottom of the states in terms of health, education, and economic security. Investing in the foundations of our communities by ensuring we have great public schools, safely maintained roads and bridges, and […]

We know that every parent, guardian and community member can be a powerful force in promoting an equal opportunity to learn in Arkansas, and we have an incredible opportunity to shape a huge investment in our K-12 education system here in the coming months. Through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Arkansas is receiving $1.2 billion […]

Arkansans want what’s best for our children. We all want kids to have happy, healthy lives. Access to affordable medical care is an important part of overall health, and each Arkansan should have access to health care. But, as shown in the data in this report, Arkansas is getting further from the Finish Line of […]

Every child needs access to an adequate amount of healthy food to thrive. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, too many of Arkansas’s children were facing hunger, especially our Black and Hispanic or Latino children.

The American Rescue Plan is a historic and much-needed response to a global pandemic. In the short term, the federal relief will help many of us recover from months of lost wages and overdue rent. Here are some benefits in the Plan that may help you or your family. For a more comprehensive list of […]

More than a thousand bills were passed during the 2021 General Assembly. Do you know how they will impact kids? From positive changes for immigrant families in Arkansas to increasing teachers’ salaries, and to defending the state’s Medicaid expansion program, our Kids at the Capitol 2021 Legislative Summary covers it. Read about the good laws that passed, […]

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families’ (AACF) mission has always been to ensure that all children and their families have the resources and opportunities to lead healthy and productive lives and to realize their full potential. In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic strain highlighted the importance of our work on behalf of […]