About Us

At the heart of our mission is a commitment to fostering a brighter future for children and families in our community. We advocate for evidence-based, equitable policies and provide vital resources that inspire action. Join us as we work to elevate voices, create change, and support those in need. Together, we can make a difference.

Our Commitment to Advocacy

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families was founded in 1977 by a group of prominent Arkansans who believed that children needed an “independent force to provide information and education to parents and citizens about our state’s policies toward children and families.”

For 49 years, AACF has provided leadership, research, and advocacy to promote wide-ranging reforms that have improved the lives of Arkansas children, and we have never been afraid to lead the way when the need arose. Our work includes:

Protecting Children

Through the years, AACF has played a major role in challenging Arkansas’s juvenile justice and child welfare systems to perform better. In 1983, our research into juvenile court hearings led to a major overhaul of the state’s juvenile justice system. We continue to advocate for long-range reforms in both systems.

Improving Children’s Health

We led the effort to create ARKids First, which has provided children’s health insurance to working families since 1997. In 2016, the rate of uninsured children in Arkansas fell to a historic low of 4.9%. Unfortunately rates have been steadily climbing since, making our advocacy on behalf of families who can’t afford private insurance critical.

Fighting for Early Education and Out-of-School Opportunities

AACF believes all students deserve the opportunity to learn and reach their full potential. We work with partners across the state to ensure that high-quality public schools remain the top priority in our state’s budget and the foundation of a healthy democracy. For over 20 years, we have been a leader in the fight to make quality early childhood education available to all lower-income families. We also advocate for after-school and summer programs, both of which give working families safe places for their children to play and learn, minimize summer learning loss, increase grade-level reading, and reduce crime and referrals to the juvenile justice system. AACF also focuses on closing racial and socioeconomic opportunity gaps through increased parent engagement and positive alternatives to school discipline that can keep more kids in school and on track to graduate.

Promoting Economic Security

AACF is a champion for the economic well-being of Arkansas families. We have led efforts to make our state’s tax and budget systems more balanced, including victories of exempting most low-income families from the state income tax and closing down predatory payday lenders. Now we’re working on opportunities to help balance our regressive tax system.

Empowering Families

A Journey Through Our Key Milestones

Our organization has evolved significantly since its inception. We embarked on our mission to advocate for child and family welfare, gradually expanding our impact through partnerships and community support. Each milestone marks our commitment to racial equity and community action, as we strive to create a brighter future for all families.

View Our Full History

1977

AACF is incorporated and Hillary Rodham becomes the first Board President (plus the first core grants that fund the organization’s launch).

1978

Jo Luck is hired as AACF’s first Executive Director and AACF publishes/launches early cornerstone work (including the early “Arkansas Children Have Problems” publication and “Incentive” newsletter).

1987

AACF is instrumental in the Arkansas Supreme Court declaring the juvenile court system unconstitutional, triggering major structural reform efforts.

1997

AACF helps pass legislation creating ARKids First, the state’s health insurance program for uninsured children (a defining, durable policy win).

2019

Major modern reform year: Act 189 (comprehensive juvenile justice reform) and Act 971 (limits on juvenile isolation/solitary confinement), plus expanded advocacy capacity and statewide engagement growth.