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Arkansas approved to offer child care help to child care workers, adoptive parents | Camden News

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Arkansas approved to offer child care help to child care workers, adoptive parents | Camden News


Arkansas has received approval to extend financial assistance with child care costs to employees of child care centers and to foster parents who have become adoptive parents, the state Department of Education announced last week.

The state’s Child Care Assistance program, funded through a federal block grant, primarily provides assistance to families earning up to 85% of the state’s median household income.

According to a chart on the Education Department’s website, that cutoff is about $5,274 a month, or $63,288 a year, for a family of four.

Regardless of income, however, help is now also available for workers at child care centers that participate in the Child Care Assistance Program, as well as foster parents who become adoptive parents.

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While income guidelines are waived for people who fall in those two categories, income must be verified. Households that declare assets of $1 million or more are not eligible.

The expansion was made possible by a waiver recently approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to an Education Department news release.

“I’m proud that Arkansas is the most pro-life state in the country, but being pro-life doesn’t end once a child is born,” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in the release.

“Arkansas will soon be one of the few states in the country that offers child care support for adoptive parents and child care employees. This is huge for families struggling with child care costs – and the exact kind of pro-life policies my administration will support.”

Paul Lazenby, executive director of Arkansas Early Childhood Association, said the expansion “will be just a huge benefit to all of our childcare teachers and staff.”

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“It’s very exciting,” he said. “It is a huge benefit to teachers who are working in childcare, but they also need childcare for their own children.”

According to the Education Department, Arkansas receives a Child Care Development Block Grant of more than $100 million each year.

The LEARNS Act, the education overhaul championed by Sanders, transferred responsibility for administering the program to the Education Department from the Department of Human Services.

To be eligible for the assistance, parents, including child care workers and adoptive parents, must work or participate in education or job skills training for at least 30 hours per week. The child care must be provided by one of the more than 1,400 child care facilities participating in the program.

My Ly is a Report for America Corps member. Information for this article was contributed by Cynthia Howell of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

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Arkansas

Congressional subcommittee to hold hearing in Little Rock on ‘failures’ of local housing authority | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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Congressional subcommittee to hold hearing in Little Rock on ‘failures’ of local housing authority | Arkansas Democrat Gazette


Joseph Flaherty

jflaherty@adgnewsroom.com

Joseph Flaherty covers the city of Little Rock for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of Middlebury College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, he has worked for the newspaper since 2020.

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11 people arrested in connection with various charges in Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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11 people arrested in connection with various charges in Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette


Arrests

Benton County Sheriff’s Office

Scott Minor, 45, of Elm Street in Jefferson City, Mo., was arrested Friday on suspicion of computer child pornography and sexually grooming a child. Minor was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with a $150,000 bond set.

Bentonville

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Damond Drake, 52, of West Highland Drive in Rogers was arrested Saturday on suspicion of delivery of methamphetamine or cocaine. Drake was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with no bond set.

Fayetteville

Cornelius Anderson, 33, of Dawn Street in Fayetteville was arrested Saturday on suspicion of third-degree assault on a family member, third-degree domestic battery, first-degree criminal mischief and theft of property. Anderson remained at the Washington County Detention Center Monday in lieu of $5,000 bond.

Eduard Korshakov, 37, of Prairie Dunes Trail in Fayetteville was arrested Saturday on suspicion of aggravated assault on a family or household member, kidnapping, first-degree false imprisonment, third-degree domestic battery and interference with emergency communications. Korshakov remained at the Washington County Detention Center Monday in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Efrain Quiroz, 29, of North Shamblin Avenue in Fayetteville was arrested Sunday on suspicion of second-degree battery and second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor. Quiroz remained at the Washington County Detention Center Monday in lieu of $25,000 bond.

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Leo Ward, 21, of West Tanner Drive in Fayetteville was arrested Sunday on suspicion of aggravated residential burglary and stalking. Ward was released from the Washington County Detention Center Monday on $25,000 bond.

Rogers

John Jenkins, 21, of Arkansas 351 in Jonesboro was arrested Saturday on suspicion of fraudulent use of credit/debit card. Jenkins was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with no bond set.

Springdale

Ashlyn Neal, 19, of Powell Street in Springdale was arrested Saturday on suspicion of kidnapping, second-degree battery, endangering the welfare of a minor, resisting arrest and obstruction of government operations. Neal was released from the Washington County Detention Center Saturday on $5,000 bond.

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Jose Neal, 37, of South Powell Street in Springdale was arrested Saturday on suspicion of second-degree domestic battery, third-degree domestic battery, interference with emergency communications and resisting arrest. Neal was released from the Washington County Detention Center Saturday on $5,000 bond.

Skyler Shane, 31, of Highway 62 in Westville, Ok., was arrested Sunday on suspicion of Possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance with intent to deliver, simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm, carrying a prohibited weapon and disorderly conduct. Shane was released from the Washington County Detention Center Sunday on $3,500 bond.

University of Arkansas Police Department

Celso Adame-Gallegos, 19 of Jade Street in Springdale was arrested Friday on suspicion of possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance with intent to deliver. Adame-Gallegos was released from the Washington County Detention Center Saturday on $5,000 bond.

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Erika Kirk to Join Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for Announcement at Arkansas State Capitol

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Erika Kirk to Join Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for Announcement at Arkansas State Capitol


Arkansas leaders are set to take the stage at the State Capitol Wednesday afternoon for an announcement already drawing statewide attention.

At 1 p.m., Sarah Huckabee Sanders will appear alongside Erika Kirk, the chairwoman and CEO of Turning Point USA, at the Arkansas State Capitol.

While officials with the governor’s office have not yet released details about the announcement, the joint appearance is expected to draw significant attention from political leaders and supporters across the state.

The moment also brings renewed focus to the legacy of Erika Kirk’s late husband, Charlie Kirk, a nationally recognized conservative activist who built one of the country’s largest student political organizations aimed at mobilizing young voters on college campuses.

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In 2025, Kirk was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Authorities say the gunfire erupted during a gathering connected to student political programming, sending attendees scrambling for safety.

Kirk was rushed from the scene but later died from his injuries, sparking shock and an outpouring of reaction from political leaders, students, and supporters across the country.

In the weeks that followed, memorials and tributes appeared nationwide. In Arkansas, supporters and lawmakers honored Kirk’s life and work with a memorial exhibit displayed inside the Arkansas State Capitol, recognizing the influence he had on conservative youth activism and campus politics.

Following his death, Erika Kirk stepped into a leadership role at Turning Point USA, pledging to continue the organization’s mission and expand its outreach to students across the nation.

On Wednesday, Kirk will again be at the Arkansas State Capitol, this time standing beside Governor Sanders for a joint announcement, as leaders gather and the state waits to learn what the two will unveil.

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