Arkansas education department reduces work requirement for child care assistance program

Children from the KU Kids Deanwood Childcare Center complete a mural celebrating the launch of the Child Tax Credit on July 14, 2021 at the KU Kids Deanwood Childcare Center in Washington, D.C. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Community Change)

Arkansas education officials on Monday announced recently implemented changes to a child care subsidy program, including reducing the required work hours and removing a lifetime limit on benefits.

The Child Care Assistance Program , which provides financial assistance to low-income families for quality childcare, is supported through the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), which is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The changes to Arkansas’ program that took effect July 1 include:

• Families must now show they completed 20 hours of work each week, a reduction from 30 hours.
• The Arkansas Department of Education will update the eligibility-based state median income criteria annually instead of every two years.
• Co-payments for families at or below 75% of the state’s median income will be waived. This is a change from 40%.
• The previous 60-month limit to receive benefits has been removed, allowing eligible families to now qualify indefinitely.
• Families can now use one application for CCDF programs and Arkansas Better Chance , a program created in 1991 to offer early education services to children from birth to age 5 exhibiting developmental and socio-economic risk factors.

The Arkansas Department of Education made the changes “to increase families’ access to high-quality early learning experiences under the LEARNS Act,” according to a press release.

For families needing the most help, child care costs are about to drop

The LEARNS Act is a sweeping education law that increased the state’s minimum teacher salary to $50,000, created a school voucher program and transferred the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Education.

It also created the Office of Early Childhood, which oversees the CCDF, within the education department.

“Research shows that access to high-quality child care increases a child’s readiness for school and success later in life,” Education Secretary Jacob Oliva said. “Through LEARNS, the focus on improving access has become a priority. These changes to the CCDF grant program serve as another opportunity for more Arkansas families to achieve the necessary early learning supports for their children while they work to support their families.”

ADE awarded more than $125 million to families in 2023, according to the press release.

The Child Care Assistance Program is based on the availability of funds. If funds are unavailable when families apply, they will be notified and placed on a waiting list in their county, according to ADE. The application will be effective for 12 months.

Once a family is determined eligible, they must select a provider that’s licensed and registered by the OEC and an active participant in the Child Care Assistance Program.

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