Over the past five years, we’ve heard lots of discussion about the Common Core State Standards. There is even some confusion about what the standards are, who made the standards, and what they do for students. So, it’s important...
The 90th session of the Arkansas General Assembly is upon us. The legislature convened this week to swear in new members, hold the first round of committee hearings, and file a few pieces of legislation. Lawmakers are on recess...
The Private Option has been a huge success, providing Arkansans with affordable health coverage. The 2015 Legislative session starts next week, and lawmakers will decide whether or not to continue a program that has helped so many Arkansans get...
In 2013, one out of four Arkansans did not have health insurance. Thousands of low-income Arkansans made too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to receive financial help in the health insurance Marketplace (through tax subsidies). Arkansas faced...
2014 was a year of progress that led to renewed efforts to inform lawmakers, engage parents, and connect with communities and their leaders about education in Arkansas. As always, AACF worked hard to improve access to high-quality education for all...
Our latest report, Creating a Prosperous Future, goes into more depth on each of these points. But for now, here are the five things you need to know about poverty in Arkansas. Poverty is defined by the federal poverty...
Imagine you’re exhausted. You’ve worked for the past 20 hours straight, your son has a cold that has gotten worse over the last week and your daycare won’t let him come back until he’s fever-free. You have to take...
Larger surpluses mean a smaller pool of money for major programs like pre-K and often end up benefiting “pet projects.” Surplus spending is harder to track and is not subject to the same scrutiny as other “normal” budget spending....
The state budget, or what the state chooses to spend money on, is essentially a list of priorities. As with any state budget, the financial demands on the Arkansas budget far exceed our state’s ability to meet all needs....
A new federal grant will provide $15 million each of the next four years for Arkansas Better Chance (ABC), the state’s high-quality pre-K program. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) and the Invest Early Coalition are grateful for...