The Arkansas Kids Count Coalition is celebrating 30 years of advocacy for our state’s children. And we thought our anniversary would be a great time to go back to the basics. This year, the Arkansas Kids Count Coalition is hosting a monthly webinar series, Policy 101, to explore the fundamentals of major policies and programs impacting children and families in Arkansas. The webinars are meant to provide advocates with the essentials around many important topics to help you in advocating for the well-being of Arkansas’s children. We will cover essential components of a program or policy, as well as current issues affecting the policy. We will end by answering your questions.
People who attend or watch the recording of 10 complete webinars in the series will receive a certificate of completion.
Review the full schedule:
January Recording: Child Welfare 101 Watch the recording. Password: 6?#fc0dq
For our first webinar, Christin Harper, Policy Director at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families went over key aspects of Arkansas’s child welfare system, including foster care, adoption, and child abuse and neglect prevention.
February: PASSE 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, February 26 at 1:00pm on Zoom
Arkansas’s PASSE (Provider-Led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity) program is a Medicaid program for Arkansans with complex behavioral health needs and people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Though a wide range of services are provided in the PASSE, the system is complex and can be difficult to navigate. In the PASSE 101 webinar, Derek Henderson with Disability Rights Arkansas will go over the major aspects of the PASSE and current issues facing those involved in the PASSE.
March: Adequacy 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, March 26 at 1:00pm on Zoom
In Arkansas, the state legislature is required to ensure that students at public schools receive an adequate and equitable education. And in a biennial study happening now, the legislature reviews how public schools are funded. In this Adequacy 101 webinar, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Education and Fiscal Policy Fellow Aaron Conrad will explain how the adequacy study works and how you can keep up to date with the process.
April: SNAP and WIC 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, April 30 at 1:00pm on Zoom
In this webinar, Cathy May with Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance will cover important information any advocate should know about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
May: Maternal Health 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, May 28 at 1:00pm on Zoom
Camille Richoux, Health Policy Director at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, will discuss some of the major policies and programs around maternal health in Arkansas, as well as pressing policy concerns in the maternal health space in this Maternal Health 101 webinar.
June: Medicaid 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, June 25 at 1:00pm on Zoom
Medicaid is one of the largest social safety net programs in the country with many programs and policies falling under it. Though an entire class could be taught on Medicaid, Camille Richoux, Health Policy Director at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, will go over the most fundamental aspects of the program and upcoming changes.
July: Advocacy 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, July 30 at 1:00pm on Zoom
Want to learn the basics of how to advocate for and against laws at the state and federal level? In Advocacy 101, Rebecca Zimmermann, Community Engagement Director at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, will go over what you should consider when making a plan to advocate, dos and don’ts, and strategies.
August: Special Education 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, August 27 at 1:00pm on Zoom
From IEPs, 504s, and more, Nicole Carey, Education Policy Director at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, will discuss various Special Education programs at the state and federal level in this Special Education 101 webinar.
September: Juvenile Justice 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, September 24 at 1:00pm on Zoom
In Juvenile Justice 101, Kurt Meredith, Senior Staff Attorney and Kevin Hoffman, Juvenile Justice Specialist from Arkansas Juvenile Division of the Courts, will cover key components of Arkansas’s juvenile justice system.
October: Voting Rights 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, October 29 at 1:00pm on Zoom
Kathy Webb with Get Loud Arkansas will discuss critical national and state voting rights laws.
November: Arkansas’s Early Childhood Education System 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, November 19 at 1:00pm on Zoom
Members of Arkansas Early Childhood Association will explain the different aspects of the state’s early childhood care and education network.
December: Poverty Fighting Programs 101 Register
When/Where: Thursday, December 17 at 1:00pm on Zoom
There is a lot to cover in this Poverty Fighting Programs 101 event. There are numerous state and federal programs aimed at decreasing the number of people living in poverty, such as TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), baby bonds, and several tax credits. In this webinar, Pete Gess, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Economic Policy Director, will cover some of the major policies and programs.
Other Policy 101 events
Attendees of our webinars, be on the lookout for emails about our Policy Seminars. Our quarterly Policy Seminars are invite-only events for attendees of our Policy 101 webinars. In these virtual discussions, we will talk about the issues highlighted during the webinars and how those compare to what you are seeing in your communities. You will have the opportunity to share your insight and connect with other advocates around the state concerned about the same issues.
And in a few locations around the state we will host Policy Labs. Join the Arkansas Kids Count Coalition for Policy Lab, an in-person, interactive training where you will learn key aspects of critical public policies impacting the well-being of Arkansas’s children and families, including topics such Medicaid, Arkansas’s child welfare system, education funding, family economic well-being, and other issues. Through activities like round table discussions, quizzes, and more, you’ll have opportunities to connect with other advocates, deepen your policy knowledge, and prepare to speak up for the interests of children with lawmakers from the state to the nation’s Capitol. Stay tuned for more details including dates and event locations.