LITTLE ROCK — The expansion of the state’s Child Care Assistance Program last January to include early child care workers and adoptive parents resulted in more than 2,600 additional students receiving assistance to attend high-quality child care programs. This remarkable increase has led to the program reaching capacity for the first time since 2018. Currently, more than 18,300 students are participating in the program. 

“Early education was one of the primary focuses of the LEARNS Act, and between our expanded Child Care Assistance Program and the Local Leads initiative, we are serving more families than ever,” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. “We know how important it is for families to have quality early childhood education options, and I’m glad our state is helping provide that service to Arkansas’ kids.”

“From building an education system that spans birth to post-secondary learning to placing early learning local leads in communities covering all 75 counties, Governor Sanders’ LEARNS Act is having a positive and profound effect on early learning in Arkansas,” Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva said. “By ensuring children have access to robust early learning programs, students are better prepared to enter kindergarten and stay on track with learning targets.”

The department receives a federal Child Care Development Block Grant totaling more than $100 million each year to provide child care assistance to low-income families who work. A year ago, the department announced the expansion of the state’s Child Care Assistance Program to include additional eligible groups. The expansion also increased payment rates for providers of quality programs and reduced the work requirement from 30 to 20 hours for working families. 

Due to the increase in participation, the Office of Early Childhood will begin implementing a waitlist Feb. 15, 2025, to ensure priority needs are met and families are receiving timely information regarding their application. Families in the following categories will NOT be placed on the waitlist: teen parents, families experiencing homelessness, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients, guardians/custodians, adoptive families, child care workers, children with special needs, and children transitioning from foster care. 

Families currently participating in the program will not be affected by the waitlist as long as they remain eligible and continue to recertify their eligibility on time.

To learn more about the School Readiness Assistance Program, visit https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/school-readiness-assistance-program.