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Advocating for Kids in an Election Year
Election years are a great time to raise awareness about policy issues impacting kids and families, not only with candidates running for office, but also with the media and your fellow community...
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AACF Seeks Policy Director
Position Overview This is a full-time position in the Little Rock office of AACF. This position will lead AACF’s policy work and be responsible for developing and implementing AACF’s policy agenda by...
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An update on school disciplinary practices in Arkansas
We all want Arkansas schools to be safe, healthy, and orderly environments so every student can learn and thrive. And kids need clear expectations for behavior and logical consequences to grow...
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Congress Must Act Now to Make Sure Vulnerable Women and Babies Have the...
Congress has been pushing off their responsibility to make an actual budget for five months now. This uncertainty affects all government programs, but it’s going to have harsh consequences for the...
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Let’s put everything on the table for maternal and infant health
We are pleased to see so much focus and attention in Arkansas on reducing our state’s maternal mortality rate. It’s important that, as this discussion continues, we do not lose sight of the importance...
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Why spanking in schools needs to go
When schools use physical pain as a way of controlling kids, research shows they are less likely to cooperate, not more. While the use of spanking is up to each school district, we know it is a common...
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Federal Legislation Restores Benefits to Marshallese, at Long Last
The government funding bill that President Biden signed into law on Saturday included a legislative fix that Marshallese Arkansans have fought to pass for more than two decades: restoration of their...
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Taxes help all our communities thrive
As April 15 is Tax Day, it is important to reflect upon the critical role that income tax plays in Arkansas. At tax season it is important to reflect upon the importance of taxes to a thriving...
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AACF Seeks Finance and Administrative Director
Position Overview This is a full-time position in the Little Rock office of AACF. This position can work 30 (80%) to 37.5 (full-time) hours per week, depending on the candidate’s needs. This position...
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Leaders In Arkansas Have Decisions to Make About Expanding Pre-K Access
A new national report released today ranks Arkansas 22nd in the nation for preschool enrollment for 4-year-olds and 6th for 3-year-olds. The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)...
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Report shows huge losses in children’s healthcare coverage: urgent action needed
Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) are a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of Arkansas children, and our ARKids First program (Arkansas’s Medicaid/CHIP program for children) is...
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Arkansas Educational Adequacy Process Explained
Every two years, the Arkansas Legislature takes a deep dive into our education funding system to determine what it would take to provide an adequate and equitable education for every child. That study...
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The Fiscal Session of Arkansas’s 94th General Assembly
On April 10, Arkansas legislators convened for the 2024 Fiscal Session. The purpose of fiscal sessions is to consider budget bills and to approve the Revenue Stabilization Act (Arkansas’s balanced...
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Arkansas to Help Combat Childhood Summer Hunger with Summer EBT Program
Arkansas is one of 35 states that has signed up to make sure that kids will have access to nutritious foods during the summer. Qualifying children from Head Start up through high school will receive a...
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Income Tax Cuts Hurt Arkansans
Taxes are an important tool for prosperity Taxes are how we fund our government. The Arkansas state budget is an important policy tool for protecting, serving, and helping all Arkansans achieve their...
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Arkansas Ranks 45TH in 2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book
State Advocates Urge Focus on Equipping Kids to Learn Arkansas ranks 45th in child well-being, according to the 2024 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E....
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A Decade of Income Tax Cuts in Arkansas: Where Did the Money Go?
Since 2014, the state has cut the corporate and individual income tax rates seven times. We are now expecting a special legislative session next week to implement another round of cuts. If the session...
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The Definition of Regressive
Today the Legislature, in a special session called by the Governor, begins discussion of Senate Bill 1. According to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, this bill will...
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AACF Testimony on June 2024 Special Session Tax Cuts
Hello, I am Keesa Smith-Brantley, Executive Director at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Each year, with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, we release the KIDS COUNT Databook which is a...
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2024 June Special Session Recap
The Arkansas General Assembly quickly convened in a special session the week of June 17 to vote on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission budget, another round of tax cuts, and their stances on...
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