Supporting Children and Families in Rural Arkansas

Poverty

• According to Save the Children’s Rural Child Well-Being Dashboard, Arkansas ranks #11 in the nation for child poverty – impacting 21% of rural kids. 
• 31% of children live in households that rely on SNAP benefits, Supplemental Social Income (SSI) or other forms of public assistance. 
   

Food Insecurity

• Arkansas produces much of our nation’s agriculture, hosting thousands of farms teeming with crops – yet it’s still one of the most food-insecure states. 
• 51% of rural kids are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. 
• Low participation in nutrition programs leaves families without the support they need. 
   

Education Inequalities

• Resources and enrollment are shrinking in high-poverty school districts. 
• Childcare is scarce, with just .03 centers within a 10-mile drive. 
• Limited internet and early learning access make it harder for kids to get a strong start. 
• Many third graders are missing grade-level math and literacy goals. 
   

Natural Disasters

• Tornadoes, floods and ice storms are slamming communities with increasing force. 
• Severe weather shuts down childcare, disrupts education and cuts families off from essential services.

Education

Save the Children collaborates with school districts to provide hands-on in-school, after-school and out-of-school support. Our literacy programs are aligned with the state’s Science of Reading standards, and we’re included in the Arkansas Department of Education’s High Impact Tutoring vendor list.

We’re helping students achieve reading proficiency by grade 3 and math proficiency by grade 5, with up to 88% of participants showing typical or high academic growth.

Advancing Early Childhood Education Through Head Start

We're building children's social and emotional skills, helping parents become their child’s first teacher and creating inclusive learning environments with bilingual and multicultural resources. Our Head Start and Early Head Start centers provide high-quality childcare so more kids start school ready to succeed.

Building Local Workforce and Economic Opportunity

We’re strengthening the early childhood workforce by launching the state’s first Child Development Associate (CDA) apprenticeship and expanding access to professional development, scholarships, credentials and degrees.

Food Security

We partner with food banks and include nutrition initiatives in our education and community programs, distributing over 54,000 meals to children and families.

Emergency Response

We show up fast and stay as long as it takes when disaster hits – providing essential supplies, emergency cash assistance, psychosocial support and grants to help child-care centers rebuild.

Foster Grandparent Program

We connect Phillips County students with retired volunteers who provide one-on-one in-school reading support through the AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program.