Building a Bridge to Kindergarten Readiness Through Parks and Public Spaces
A subcommittee based in the town of Horatio, Arkansas, in Sevier County has worked to raise funds to improve area parks and recreation spaces – as well as local businesses – with a focus on early childhood development.
Step Up to WAGE$: Bridging the Pay Gap for Early Childhood Educators
One of the biggest threats to the child care industry is losing qualified teachers due to low wages. Paul Lazenby, Arkansas Early Childhood Association (AECA) executive director and T.E.A.C.H. state manager, talks about the Step Up to WAGE$ program they launched to help bridge the pay gap.
Excel by Eight Hires Adena J. White as Communications Director
Excel by Eight announced today that it has expanded its team with the addition of Adena J. White as communications director. White will provide communications support to help achieve policy goals related to supporting families, early childhood education and healthy...
HealthySteps: Providing Infants and Toddlers with Primary Care Providers
Research shows the first three years of a baby’s life are a period of incredible growth and development. A ZERO TO THREE program, HealthySteps, focuses on connecting infants and toddlers – particularly those in low-income communities – with primary care providers....
Morrilton Mobile Library Hits the Road
Access to books is essential to building a reliable resource grid for Arkansas children and families. Realized through a SOAR (Successful Outcomes for Arkansas Readers) grant through the Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary...
New Partnership Aims to Build Literacy Skills in the Little Rock School District
Only 35% of Arkansas third-graders met the reading readiness benchmark, according to the 2021-2022 ACT Aspire results. A collaborative effort from the City of Little Rock, the Little Rock School District (LRSD), Rotary Club 99 and other community partners hopes to get...
The Pandemic’s Long-Standing Effect on the Child Care Industry
While some pre-elementary children of working parents spend their days under the care of grandparents or other relatives, more than half are cared for in licensed child care facilities. So when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered businesses and closed schools, many...
Breaking Down Brain Development – Part 2
Dr. Nikki Edge is a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. She researches factors that influence child social and emotional outcomes and evaluates interventions for high-risk children and...
Increasing Quality Child Care in Conway County
When American Rescue Plan Funds arrived, Debbie Mize, director of Child Care Aware of Northcentral Arkansas, knew the best way to invest it in Conway County would be to increase the number of quality child care options. The Conway County E8 Community spearheaded a...
Marking Mental Health Action Day
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in one way or another. We have been tested as a nation, as communities, as a workforce and as parents. A 2021 study by the American Psychological Association (APA) looked at the mental and physical health of Americans one...