Arkansas – The expansion of Arkansas’ Child Care Assistance Program last January led to over 2,600 additional students receiving aid, bringing total participation to more than 18,300. This marks the first time since 2018 that the program has reached capacity.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders highlighted early education as a key focus of the LEARNS Act, emphasizing the importance of quality early childhood education for families. Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva noted that the initiative is helping children stay on track for kindergarten and long-term learning success.
The program, funded by a federal Child Care Development Block Grant exceeding $100 million annually, expanded eligibility last year to include early child care workers and adoptive parents. The expansion also increased payment rates for quality providers and reduced the work requirement from 30 to 20 hours for working families.
Due to high demand, the Office of Early Childhood will implement a waitlist starting Feb. 15, 2025. However, certain groups, including teen parents, families experiencing homelessness, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients, guardians, adoptive families, child care workers, children with special needs, and children transitioning from foster care, will not be placed on the waitlist.