Arkansas Ranks 43rd in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book

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 have contributed to Arkansas’s lower rankings, according to the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a 50-state […]

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2026 State Fiscal Session Leaves Arkansas SNAP Budget Hungry for State Funding

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 state income taxes this week will only further jeopardize the viability of SNAP in Arkansas. As […]

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Supreme Court Ruling Greenlights Voter Suppression

Today the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion that will upend the Voting Rights Act. With their ruling on Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court has just delt what will be one of the final blows destroying the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. It is not a stretch to call the VRA one […]

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Why to Advocate Even When You Are Tired

If you’re looking for a “why” to keep yourself going, look around you and don’t forget to look in the mirror as well.

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Lost in Transition: Maya’s Story Highlights the Impact of Medicaid Barriers on Postpartum Care in Arkansas

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families is collecting stories from people who are insured through ARHOME, one of Arkansas’s Medicaid programs. Data points and numbers are important because they help us understand the impact, but at the end of the day, numbers are only part of the picture. Storytelling is imperative to understanding the impact […]

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KIDS COUNT Data Book Now Includes Scores as Well as Traditional Rankings

June 8, 2026

For more than 35 years, the KIDS COUNT Data Book has ranked states on child well-being overall and in four domains: Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family and Community. In 2026, these rankings remain an important tool. However, starting...

Arkansas Ranks 43rd in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book

June 8, 2026

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...

Third Grade Retention — A Policy with Purpose, Just Not the Purpose You Think

May 29, 2026

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...

What Medicaid Work Reporting Requirements Could Mean for Arkansas Families

May 19, 2026

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...

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2025 Annual Report

May 20, 2026

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

Baby Bonds and Arkansas

March 16, 2026

A Wealth-Building Tool for Families, Communities, and the State Pete Gess Economic Policy Director Executive Summary The median household income in Arkansas now stands at $60,773. But this varies greatly across the state; while median household income in Benton...

2026 Voters’ Guide

January 26, 2026

Whether you have children or not, the well-being of our state’s kids is critical to everyone’s future. As advocates, it’s up to us to make sure voters and candidates are aware of the issues that matter most. Election years...

Preemption in Arkansas: Recent Trends and Implications for Local Democracy and Policy Innovation

October 22, 2025

Preemption is the process by which a higher level of government (usually the state) restricts or eliminates the ability of a lower level (local government) to regulate certain issues. Learn more about how preemption operates in Arkansas, including trends...

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