What would it take for Arkansas to be number one?

Every year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation releases the Kids Count Data Book, a comprehensive, 50-state look at child welfare. This year, Arkansas made gains in economic well-being, but we lost ground in health, becoming one of the bottom five states in that category. What would it take for Arkansas to climb all the way up […]

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2016 Voter’s Guide

This November, elections are critical to the well-being of Arkansas’s children and families and to the future of this great state. Arkansas voters will help decide which candidates win a number of important public offices, including the U.S. Presidency, a U.S. Senate seat, and House and Senate seats in the Arkansas General Assembly. The winners […]

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The “Elements” of Quality Pre-K

Quality pre-K matters. It matters most to the children who start off with their backpacks full of knowledge — they are familiar with school routines, they understand the importance of using words rather than fists when there is conflict over crayons, and they are beginning to recognize numbers and sound out words. They are Kindergarten-ready. Quality pre-K also matters to […]

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Game On: How Would You Balance the Budget to Put the Needs of Arkansas Kids First?

Would you like Arkansas to become a national leader in children’s education and health? What if we reversed the recent $1 million cuts to libraries? Would you like for Arkansas to improve its highways and roads without under-funding other critical programs? Now is your chance to have your voice heard! Play our fun, easy model budget game […]

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Reinforcing the Bridge Out of Poverty: An Arkansas EITC

Tax day would certainly be a little happier for hundreds of thousands of working Arkansans if we had an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). President Reagan called EITCs “the best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come out of Congress.” An Arkansas EITC would supplement the wildly successful federal version which helps working families across […]

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Watch this video to find out more about AACF

Find out more about Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families by watching this brief video. In it, we talk about our history, our work, and what has made Advocates what it is today.

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State Releases Plan to Overhaul Fragmented Mental Health System

September 26, 2016

Arkansas is moving forward with historic changes to the Medicaid program that will improve access to mental health and substance use treatment. For almost a decade, efforts have been underway to better address the mental health needs of children...

UPDATE: Census data shows one in five Arkansans live in poverty

September 15, 2016

Earlier this week, we shared with you the first of two major Census data sets showing improvements in national poverty numbers. While poverty data for the nation inched down from 11.6 percent in 2014 to 10.4 percent in 2015, we...

New Census data shows Arkansas continues to make historic health coverage gains

September 13, 2016

A new report shows that Arkansas continues to stand out amid other southern states with one of the lowest rates of uninsured people. According to U.S. Census data released today, only 9.5 percent of Arkansans were uninsured in 2015....

New Census data: poverty numbers have improved, but work is far from over

September 13, 2016

We all have a stake in making sure that Arkansas kids grow up in households that can afford the basics, like a nutritious diet, a decent place to live, and school clothes and supplies. The first of two major...

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Part 4 of 4: Personal Income Tax Cuts are Bad for Arkansas Kids

September 27, 2016

Recent tax cuts haven’t helped struggling parents make ends meet. Instead, they have hurt public investments that Arkansas kids and their parents need to succeed. Personal income tax cuts mean less revenue for quality schools where kids can learn,...

Should you support tax cuts? Download our Arkansas tax cut cheat sheet.

September 8, 2016

The next legislative session is just around the corner, and we already know there will be efforts to make major cuts to personal income taxes in Arkansas. Are those big tax cut ideas good for kids and families in...

Helping Arkansans Build Assets

August 9, 2016

Helping working Arkansas families grow their assets will build a stronger middle class and a healthier economy, which benefits us all. Our state has come a long way in making it easier for all Arkansans to build assets, but we need to continue...

Part 3 of 4: Personal Income Tax Cuts Don’t Lead to Broad Prosperity

July 29, 2016

If we rebuild our tax code in a way that works for everyone, we can afford to make public investments that will contribute to the common good. Unfortunately, recent tax cuts have put more money in the pockets of...

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Together We Can Build a Better Arkansas

Support AACF's work to give children a voice

Off to a Great Start

ARKids First has been a huge success
in kids' health coverage. Let's build on that.

Closing the Achievement Gap

Every child, no matter their zip code, deserves an equal opportunity to learn.

The Only Bars Children Should See
are on the Playground

Find out more about AACF's efforts to reform the juvenile justice system in Arkansas.

Let's Build a Better Tax System

We can make it work for Arkansas families.

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