Education
Access to Quality Child Care Slots for Preschoolers
Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Access to Quality Slots
2023
Arkansas County27%
Ashley County49%
Baxter County47%
Benton County12%
Boone County62%
Bradley County55%
Calhoun County66%
Carroll County32%
Chicot County39%
Clark County59%
Clay County89%
Cleburne County48%
Cleveland County108%
Columbia County49%
Conway County50%
Craighead County34%
Crawford County37%
Crittenden County34%
Cross County33%
Dallas County51%
Desha County51%
Drew County36%
Faulkner County22%
Franklin County21%
Fulton County84%
Garland County37%
Grant County12%
Greene County29%
Hempstead County42%
Hot Spring County56%
Howard County55%
Independence County67%
Izard County63%
Jackson County53%
Jefferson County33%
Johnson County16%
Lafayette County112%
Lawrence County76%
Lee County45%
Lincoln County33%
Little River County45%
Logan County54%
Lonoke County23%
Madison County18%
Marion County44%
Miller County19%
Mississippi County81%
Monroe County50%
Montgomery County48%
Nevada County36%
Newton County66%
Ouachita County33%
Perry County20%
Phillips County41%
Pike County55%
Poinsett County46%
Polk County64%
Pope County27%
Prairie County53%
Pulaski County32%
Randolph County40%
Saline County21%
Scott County73%
Searcy County67%
Sebastian County35%
Sevier County51%
Sharp County47%
St. Francis County39%
Stone County40%
Union County51%
Van Buren County50%
Washington County19%
White County29%
Woodruff County87%
Yell County66%

Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Notes: Quality slots per child aged 3 or 4




Number of Quality Slots
2023
Arkansas County173
Ashley County306
Baxter County471
Benton County1,460
Boone County536
Bradley County227
Calhoun County64
Carroll County284
Chicot County115
Clark County382
Clay County400
Cleburne County295
Cleveland County210
Columbia County387
Conway County360
Craighead County1,587
Crawford County732
Crittenden County684
Cross County191
Dallas County93
Desha County202
Drew County242
Faulkner County945
Franklin County113
Fulton County301
Garland County1,169
Grant County65
Greene County485
Hempstead County320
Hot Spring County596
Howard County288
Independence County923
Izard County222
Jackson County293
Jefferson County707
Johnson County169
Lafayette County197
Lawrence County447
Lee County100
Lincoln County115
Little River County185
Logan County379
Lonoke County617
Madison County110
Marion County207
Miller County300
Mississippi County1,268
Monroe County146
Montgomery County122
Nevada County95
Newton County126
Ouachita County245
Perry County60
Phillips County282
Pike County180
Poinsett County393
Polk County296
Pope County632
Prairie County136
Pulaski County4,559
Randolph County348
Saline County830
Scott County264
Searcy County144
Sebastian County1,644
Sevier County307
Sharp County279
St. Francis County329
Stone County163
Union County637
Van Buren County229
Washington County1,930
White County760
Woodruff County203
Yell County459

Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention



STATE TREND

Not Available


34%

2023
1% = 1,061
Children 3 to 4 Years
See here for full explanation

What does this measure?

The number of publicly funded, high-quality, licensed slots for children ages 3 or 4, expressed as a percentage of the number of children ages 3 or 4. High-quality is defined as a slot with a 3-star rating from Arkansas' Better Beginnings program, at a Head Start center, or funded by the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program.

Why is this important?

Children placed in high-quality care settings are safer and more secure while their parents are at work. They also develop important social and academic skills and are more likely to be ready to start kindergarten. Despite its importance, high-quality child care is often expensive and out of reach for low-income families. Publicly funded programs help low-income families afford child care. The greater the share of children that receive high-quality early child care, whether in centers or at home, the stronger their chances for strong academic outcomes in the future.

How is Arkansas doing?

In 2023, there were enough high-quality, publicly funded slots to serve 34% of Arkansas' preschoolers. Rates varied by county across the state. Grant and Benton counties had the lowest rates of quality slots per preschooler at 12% each. In contrast, Lafayette and Cleveland counties had more quality slot capacity than children in that age group at 112% and 108% respectively. This may be due to sites in these counties serving children from other counties, or having a licensed capacity (due to the physical size of the facility) that is much larger than the actual number of slots offered.

Notes about the data

The number of licensed slots reported is a point in time count. This represents the number of slots a facility is licensed for (based on its physical size), not the number of slots a facility offers (which may be a smaller number). The data reported is as of the spring of its given year.

Given that current population estimates are not available past 2020, the number of children for more recent years is projected based on 1990-2020 population estimates by age provided by the Centers for Disease Control.




Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Access to Quality Slots
2023
Arkansas34%

Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Notes: Quality slots per child aged 3 or 4










INDICATORS TREND | STATE
Education: Access to Quality Slots for Infants and Toddlers Not Applicable
Education: Access to Quality Child Care Slots for Preschoolers Not Applicable
Education: Grade 3 Reading Decreasing
Education: Grade 8 Math Maintaining
Education: Graduation Rate Increasing
Education: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Education: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Education: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Education: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Education: Imagination Libraries Increasing
Health: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Health: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Health: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Health: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Health: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Health: Oral Health Increasing
Health: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Health: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Health: Overdose Deaths Increasing
Families: Teen Births Decreasing
Families: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Median Household Income Maintaining
Families: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Families: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Families: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Families: Access to Financial Services Decreasing
Families: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Families: Food Deserts Not Applicable
Families: Homelessness Decreasing
Families: Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Families: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Families: Households Below ALICE Threshold Not Applicable
Families: Overall Housing Cost Burden Decreasing
Families: Child Care Costs for Toddlers Not Applicable
Families: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Families: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Families: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Community: Voter Participation Rate Decreasing
Community: Charitable Giving Increasing
Community: Volunteering Increasing
Community: Group Participation Increasing
Community: Connection to Neighbors Decreasing
Community: Local Voting Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population Increasing
Demographics: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population by Age Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Racial Equity: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Racial Equity: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Racial Equity: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Racial Equity: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Racial Equity: Oral Health Increasing
Racial Equity: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Racial Equity: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Racial Equity: Teen Births Decreasing
Racial Equity: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Median Household Income Maintaining
Racial Equity: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Racial Equity: Access to Financial Services Decreasing
Racial Equity: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homelessness Decreasing
Racial Equity: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Racial Equity: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Racial Equity: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Racial Equity: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable








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