It’s Wednesday, July 24, 2019 — 91 days after the legislative session officially adjourned on April 24, 2019. What’s so special about today? All bills passed by the state legislature become laws 91 days upon adjournment (unless they contained...
Study shows all states need faster expansion and greater investment in early childhood education In The State of Preschool 2018 annual report, the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University found that Arkansas preschool state-funded enrollment increased, but funding...
The end is in sight! Week 12 saw a fair amount of action at the Capitol. Several committees held their final meetings this week, meaning a number of bills will not progress this session. We expect the next –...
As expected, several committees and the House met today, in an effort to get through the many bills still left to cover before the end of the session. The AACF staff has been hard at work, doing outreach, building...
Boost Wages with a Refundable Tax Credit Linked to Increased Credentials Early childhood educators play one of the most important roles in our education system and economy. Research shows that 85% of core brain development happens by age three,...
Despite being a three-day week at the Capitol, it was jam-packed! Several bills worked on by AACF staff cleared important hurdles, and we are gearing up for the sprint that comes in the last several weeks of the session....
It was a short second week at the Capitol, with state offices closed Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and no committee meetings on Friday. Did you know both chambers are streaming live? Watch your...
When do children begin to learn? Believe it or not, school readiness begins in the womb. Research show the first few years of life, including the prenatal months, are the most important for healthy brain development. Unfortunately, too many...
Note: This blog is third in a series of posts covering the findings in the 2018 Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book. To read the introductory blog post, click here. Read the second, on economic security, here. Every year,...
The number of Arkansas children in poverty has decreased by 28,000 since 2010, according to data in the 2018 KIDS COUNT® Data Book released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Despite this progress, 24 percent of the state’s...