Arkansas to receive $786,560,790 in recovery funds
assistance, we should leverage this funding to build a strong foundation for recovery for everyone who calls our state home.
AACF Statement on the shooting at Robb Elementary School
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families will support data-driven legislation proposed to improve gun safety, to prevent the loss of our children to gun violence.
Too Many Arkansas Preschoolers Didn’t Receive High-Quality Education Amid Pandemic
Arkansas should commit to serving at least all low-income preschoolers. The 2021 State of Preschool Yearbook, released by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, provides an in-depth look at state-funded...
To protect mothers, Arkansas needs better postpartum health coverage now
The United States is the only developed country where the maternal mortality rate has been steadily rising. But most pregnancy-related deaths, one third of which happen between two and 12 months postpartum, are preventable.
Eliminating Needed Access to Food Programs This Summer Hurts Kids
All children and families, regardless of race, ethnicity, or where they live, deserve access to high-quality affordable foods. Unfortunately, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, families in poverty and on the edge of poverty were hit hardest by hunger. It...
AACF Statement on Hutchinson’s Rejection of Federal Funds
Following Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson’s press conference, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Executive Director Rich Huddleston issued the following statement: We are deeply disappointed in the governor’s announcement today that Arkansas is rejecting $146 million in housing assistance...
Expanded CTC Helped Keep Arkansas Families Afloat
The families of more than 61 million children – including more than 600,000 in Arkansas – benefited from the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) included in the American Rescue Plan. From July through December of 2021, more than 350,000...
AACF Board of Directors Announce Executive Director Stepping Down
It is with a mix of sadness and gratitude that the Board of Directors announces Rich Huddleston’s departure as Executive Director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF), effective December 31, 2022. For the past 27 years, Rich...
For Black History Month, Let’s Focus on Black Excellence
Black excellence is all around us, woven as part of our American story, and that is what we should celebrate this February.
Anti-Equity Bills Narrowly Avoided
skills and gaining the knowledge that will guide them through adulthood. We’re thankful that Arkansas lawmakers adjourned their special session this week without taking up harmful legislation that would have undermined that objective.