Arkansas Advocates for Children and Familes

‘Worse Than People Can Imagine’: Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Breeds Chaos in States

BY: - November 8, 2023

More than two dozen people lined up outside a state public assistance office in Montana before it opened to ensure they didn’t get cut off from Medicaid. Callers in Missouri and Florida reported waiting on hold for more than two hours on hotlines to renew their Medicaid coverage. The parents of a disabled man in […]

Sanders, Arkansas Legislature enact income tax cuts on final day of special session

BY: - September 14, 2023

Arkansas lawmakers on Thursday once again slashed the state’s top income tax rate after debate over whether the relief should more precisely target the state’s lower- and middle-income citizens. The Arkansas House voted to enact the cuts for the state’s top earning individuals and businesses and create a one-time, $150 tax credit shortly before adjourning […]

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families NWA Director Laura Kellams, Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese CEO Melisa Laelan

New report urges legislative action to provide SNAP benefits to Arkansas’ Marshallese community

BY: - August 31, 2023

A report released Thursday advocates for extending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to the thousands of Marshallese migrants who lawfully reside in Arkansas and struggle with food insecurity.   Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families worked with the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese for more than a year on the report, which recommends granting Marshallese migrants […]

children getting off a school bus

Arkansas school rating system should consider additional factors, superintendents say

BY: - May 29, 2023

It’s been a decade since Arkansas legislators passed a law creating a school rating system, and some administrators say it’s time for a change because it doesn’t take into account difficult-to-measure factors like poverty that can affect school performance. “None of us really like the A to F system because there are flaws in it…because […]