Protecting Programs Kids Need

In Arkansas, many full-time workers still struggle to make ends meet because wages remain too low. As a result, thousands of families live in poverty, even when parents are working. About 1 in 4 children in Arkansas grow up in poverty and depend on programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to meet basic needs.

These programs are lifelines for families and children. They help ensure that kids have access to food, health care, and stability. Things every child needs to thrive. Protecting these programs means protecting the future of Arkansas’s children, especially during times of rising costs and economic uncertainty.

Helping Working Families Keep More of What They Earn

We can do more than just protect what already exists. Arkansas families deserve policies that help them get ahead and not just get by. A state-level Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a proven way to support working families and improve long-term outcomes for kids.

The EITC allows low-income workers to keep more of what they earn. Children in families that receive the EITC are more likely to do better in school, graduate high school, attend college, and earn more as adults. It also improves health outcomes and increases job stability for parents.

Arkansas’s tax system is one of the most regressive in the country. When all taxes are considered, including sales, income, and property taxes, families with low incomes pay a larger share of their income in taxes than the wealthiest Arkansans. A refundable state EITC would begin to correct that imbalance while directly benefiting the children and families who need support the most.