Arkansas Advocates Call for Affordable Child Care, Flexible Work Schedules

Experts highlight challenges facing working mothers and families, urge state and employer action to address barriers

Mar. 10, 2026 at 10:21pm

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Addressing the high costs of child care and maintaining flexible work schedules are critical to supporting Arkansas working mothers and families, according to representatives from Bentonville-based Ingeborg Initiatives, the city of Little Rock, and Arkansas Children's hospital. The panelists presented research showing workforce participation among Arkansas mothers with young children lags the national average, often due to financial pressures and lack of workplace flexibility.

Why it matters

The child care crisis in Arkansas is pushing many working mothers out of the workforce, exacerbating labor shortages at a time when employers need talent. Advocates argue that state-level policy changes and more family-friendly employer benefits are needed to remove structural barriers and enable these workers to remain employed.

The details

Anna Koelsch of Ingeborg Initiatives said the average annual cost of child care for Arkansas families with two young children is about $17,500, or 27% of the median household income. This has contributed to a 63.4% workforce participation rate among mothers, six percentage points below the national average. Sheridan Richards of the city of Little Rock touted the city's new 12-week paid parental leave policy, which has been used by 37 employees so far. Crystal Kohanke of Arkansas Children's hospital said the organization offers low-cost child care and layered leave benefits to support its predominantly young, female workforce.

  • In the fall of 2024, the Little Rock firefighters union proposed adding paid parental leave to their contract.
  • In August 2025, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders expanded the state's 'infant at work' policy to allow all state employees to bring children between 4 weeks and 6 months old to the office.

The players

Anna Koelsch

Director of Bentonville-based Ingeborg Initiatives, a research organization focused on supporting working mothers and families in Arkansas.

Sheridan Richards

Chief People Officer at the city of Little Rock, which implemented a 12-week paid parental leave policy for municipal employees.

Crystal Kohanke

Chief People Officer at Arkansas Children's hospital, which offers low-cost child care and layered leave benefits to support its predominantly young, female workforce.

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What they’re saying

“They were priced out at a time when employers across Arkansas are talking about workplace shortages. There is talent ready and able to engage, but only if the structural barriers are addressed.”

— Anna Koelsch, Director, Ingeborg Initiatives (nwaonline.com)

“We were negotiating our union contracts in the fall of 2024, and the firefighters proposed adding that to their contract. The city said, 'it sounds like a great idea, but it shouldn't be limited to just this population.'”

— Sheridan Richards, Chief People Officer, City of Little Rock (nwaonline.com)

“One of the things that has worked really well for us is to layer ... different things that people need in order to be able to meet their family (or) personal obligations in a way that still enables us to have them come to work.”

— Crystal Kohanke, Chief People Officer, Arkansas Children's (nwaonline.com)

What’s next

Advocates say the state legislature could introduce further child care tax credits or codify support for family, friend and neighbor (FFN) child care providers to help address the crisis.

The takeaway

Addressing the high costs of child care and lack of workplace flexibility are critical to enabling more Arkansas mothers to remain in the workforce and help employers fill labor shortages. A multi-pronged approach involving state policy changes and family-friendly employer benefits is needed to remove these structural barriers.