The fate of our pre-K program, the foster care system, libraries, and other services hang in the balance based on the decision to fund Arkansas Works (the state’s expanded health care coverage program). If lawmakers do not fund Arkansas...
The state general revenue budget is often fluid. To arrive at a forecast, you look at long-term trends, national trends, local economic conditions … those calculations will tell you within some degree of certainty how much the state budget...
What if Arkansas were a national leader in children’s education and health? What if we had one of the lowest rates of child poverty in the nation instead of one of the highest? What if our abused and neglected...
The Arkansas Youth Justice Reform Board will soon release its recommendations for reforming the state’s juvenile justice system. Last week the State of Kansas showed us that real change might still be possible, when it passed legislation to reduce...
Next week, during a special session on Medicaid, Arkansas lawmakers will vote on Governor Asa Hutchinson’s version of expanded health care, Arkansas Works. Much like the Private Option has, Arkansas Works will ensure continued access to coverage for hundreds...
Since we first examined the managed care issue in 2015, a few important developments have occurred. In December 2015, the Health Reform Legislative Task Force released its preliminary report, and two models have been proposed to restructure the Medicaid...
The year 2015 was a milestone year of political change in Arkansas. Because of term limits and the changing political landscape at the state capitol, we lost many of our long-time champions of children’s issues on both sides of the political...
Little Rock (March 22, 2016) – Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) is pleased to announce the appointment of six new members and four officers to its board of directors for the 2016-2017 term. Among the new members...
In 2013, one out of four Arkansans did not have health insurance. Arkansas faced a looming Medicaid budget shortfall, all while more than 500,000 Arkansans were without health coverage. That year, Arkansas made history by passing bipartisan legislation called the Health...
Tax cuts from the two most recent legislative sessions are making for modest forecasts and eating away at state agency budgets. The joint budget committee met today to go over the new revenue forecast as well as the accompanying...