It was a short week at the State Capitol but that doesn’t mean it was uneventful. Here’s what you need to know: HEALTH: Gov. Asa Hutchinson asked lawmakers on Thursday to go along with a plan that would continue...
Dealing with students that have behavioral issues has become a challenge for school districts across the country. Rather than helping students make amends with their issue – a concept known as restorative justice, the “go-to” discipline response appears to...
Arkansas ranks eleventh in the nation when it comes to taxing the poor. The poorest Arkansans, those making under $16,000 per year, pay two times more in taxes as a percentage of their income than wealthy Arkansans who make...
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...
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...
As Governor-Elect Hutchinson begins to craft his budget strategy, we must keep the conversation going. As part of a series of videos highlighting voices in support of pre-K across the state, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and the Arkansas...
Tuesday is #GivingTuesday – a day different from all the rest. It’s a day on which we are encouraged to give of ourselves in whatever form that means. It’s a day to find a need and try to meet...
The Joint Budget Committee of the Arkansas General Assembly recently rejected an increase in state funding for the Arkansas Better Chance pre-K program for fiscal year 2016. This marks the eighth straight year without an increase, a cut once...
Every year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation releases the Kids Count Data Book, a comprehensive, 50-state look at child welfare. Arkansas made gains in health coverage and education over the last year, but the child poverty rate went up...
Youth detention must be utilized carefully to make sure low-level, non-violent youthful offenders do not move deeper into the criminal justice system. A new report by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families says juvenile detention – the short-term involuntary...