Arkansas state law authorizes courts to assess a wide variety of fees and fines to system-involved youth and their families. Many juvenile judges actively assess fees and fines, citing their role in holding youth accountable and funding underresourced, especially...
Earlier this week the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee released the Farm Bill 2.0. Noticeably absent from this bill: relief for low-income families across the nation who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help...
On June 19, Governor Sanders sent a letter to state government cabinet secretaries and department directors “outlining budget expectations” for the 2028-2030 biennial budget. In the letter, the Governor directs agency leaders to “cut costs” and “identify new savings.”...
Arkansas Falls to 48th in Child Health in the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book The 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book paints a concerning picture of children’s health in Arkansas. This year, Arkansas ranked 48th among states in the health...
Arkansas has made modest progress in the economic well-being of children but needs remain In the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, which is based on the most recent 2024 data, Arkansas ranks 33rd in economic well-being of children among...
New Scoring Index from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to Increase Accountability by Showing How Arkansas’s Policies and Investment Affect Children’s Daily Lives Sharp increases in the children’s uninsured rate and the number of young children not in school...
Most Arkansas students recently wrapped up their school year. Their end-of-the-year ATLAS test results mean more for some than for others. Third graders who do not meet the state’s reading standard by scoring a Level 2 or higher on the English Language Arts (ELA) portion of the...
See what happened at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families in our 2025 annual report, now available. For our list of 2025 donors, please visit aradvocates.org/donors
A new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families takes a closer look at who will be affected by Medicaid work reporting requirements. The findings raise concerns for families in Arkansas, where Medicaid plays a major...
2026 Special Session Keys Up to Further Starve SNAP and Other Programs The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) suffered a significant loss last week that will likely destabilize the program in our state. What’s more, an attempt to cut...