aradvocates.orgArkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF)

Donate Take Action Blog COVID-19 Response Issues 2020 Voters’ Guide Be an Advocate Census 2020 Child Welfare Economic Security Education Early Childhood Health KeepARCoverage Juvenile Justice Tax and Budget Events News Press Press Releases For Reporters Videos Podcasts Kids Count Kids Count Data Center Kids Count Coalition AACF in Northwest Arkansas About Us Mission & Annual Report Board Staff Jobs Request a Speaker Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Featured News Black Lives Matter At Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, we stand with our Black colleagues, family, friends and neighbors in their struggle for justice. We are outraged at the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, along with the hundreds of Black fathers, mothers, sons and daughters killed by racism each year. We believe […] Read More Families to Receive Meal Replacement Assistance Arkansas children who are eligible for free and reduced-priced school meals will have additional nutritional benefits coming their way soon. But it’s important for parents to be aware of the benefits and how to use them. Last week, Arkansas became the latest state approved to start a Pandemic-EBT program under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, […] Read More The Color of Coronavirus: Black Arkansans Face Higher Risk of Death from COVID-19 “When America catches a cold, Black folks catch the flu.” This is a saying many Black people grow up hearing. It means that when America as a whole is in a slump, Black communities tend to suffer more – due to structural, economic and policy factors out of their control. As we look at 2020, […] Read More Arkansas Needs Significantly More Fiscal Support to Address the Severe Health and Economic Harms of COVID-19 States are nearing shortfalls that could be the largest on record – totaling over $500 billion in just over a fiscal year While federal policymakers have provided a substantial amount of fiscal relief to state and local governments to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Arkansas and other states need much more in order to avoid spending […] Read More COVID-19 Weekly Policy Update, Vol. 2 April 3, 2020 A lot has been happening at the state and federal level in response to COVID-19. Below is a breakdown of major legislation and actions that have passed, been implemented, or are moving through Congress or the state General Assembly, so far. Arkansas Advocates for Children Families will work to keep you updated […] Read More COVID-19 Policy Analysis and Recommendations What Steps Still Need to be Taken? As the federal government passes emergency funding packages and changes regulations to help Americans access critical resources, Governor Hutchinson and the Arkansas legislature have also taken quick action to date in response to the crisis. AACF has analyzed the federal and state policy changes and has identified the work that […] Read More Looking Ahead During Unprecedented Times In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to update you on what is happening at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Our mission has always been to ensure that all children and their families have the resources and opportunities to lead healthy and productive lives and to realize their full potential. In many ways, this […] Read More 2020 Census: How You Can Help It’s time! Help us spread the word about the 2020 U.S. Census! Below is a list of resources to help you raise awareness with your networks about the 2020 Census and the young child undercount. #CountAllKids Young Child Undercount Communications Materials #CountAllKids Young Child Undercount Toolkit Annie E. Casey Foundation census social media toolkit Video […] Read More Equitable Economic Development Part 1: Why Tax Breaks for Business are a Bad Deal for Public Budgets Job creation and economic growth are key political issues, and policymakers are under pressure from a variety of constituents to produce results in these areas. Maybe that’s why policymakers have increasingly turned to business tax incentives — such as property tax abatements for business firms or tax credits for job creation — in order to […] Read More Census 2020: Counting the Hard to Count The 2020 Census is less than a year away. And as the state government, local governments, and community organizations plan their outreach and awareness efforts, it is important to note that some Arkansans are more likely to be left out of the Census. Many of them are part of communities that are marginalized and discriminated […] Read More Medicaid is a Lifeline for Arkansas Children and Families Medicaid is critical to the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of Arkansans, from prenatal and well-child checkups to treatment programs that families hope they never need – but sometimes do. In this new video, leaders from throughout our state are helping us highlight the importance of this vital program during April’s Medicaid Awareness […] Read More We Must Count All Children Today, April 1, marks one year until the U.S. Census starts. At Arkansas Advocates, we’re already working to ensure we have an accurate count of all people in our state, but especially young children. It’s estimated that in 2010, the Census missed one in 10 young children nationwide, making children 0 to 4 years old […] Read More Recent Blog Posts Federal COVID-19 Recommendations: Bold Action Necessary July 15, 2020 Families across the state are facing serious hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting sharp economic decline, which likely will be severe and long-lasting. While Congress has passed a few bipartisan laws that provide some relief to families... COVID-19 And Policy Update, Vol. 14 July 10, 2020 July 10, 2020 Arkansas Advocates’ updates are becoming bi-weekly. Starting today, we will publish here every other Friday. State Updates Going Back to School in Arkansas Governor Hutchinson announced on Thursday that he would delay the start of the school year... Resources for Racial Equity July 10, 2020 The recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have increased the national discussion, not only of racism within the police force and criminal justice system, but structural racism across all areas of American life. It also... Weekly COVID-19 And Policy Update, Vol. 13 June 26, 2020 June 26, 2020 State Updates Arkansas Hate Crime Bill Governor Hutchinson said he would support and sign a hate crime bill passed through the legislature, if the measure were along the lines of what he has supported in... More News Recent Publications Dismantling the barriers to the Finish Line: Every child in Arkansas needs health coverage July 13, 2020 In our annual Finish Line report, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families looks at the status of health care coverage for Arkansas’s children and families. The report examines changes over the years and recommends actions to get Arkansas to The... 2019 Annual Report April 27, 2020 While much of 2020 has already been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to release our 2019 annual report. What a busy year 2019 was! The 92nd General Assembly dominated between January and April, with more than... How to Access the Economic Impact Payment April 15, 2020 Find out if you are eligible for, and how to access, the Economic Impact Payment from the CARES Act. Download the PDF to access the live links. COVID-19 Policy Analysis and Recommendations April 1, 2020 What Steps Still Need to be Taken? As the federal government passes emergency funding packages and changes regulations to help Americans access critical resources, Governor Hutchinson and the Arkansas legislature have also taken quick action to date in response to the... 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