Youth Service Groups

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF), 523 S. Louisiana, Suite 700 Little Rock, AR 72201 A  non-profit, non-partisan child advocacy organization founded in 1977.  Not a state agency and does not provide direct services to the public. Efforts include analyzing public policy issues and legislation, translating technical intricacies, monitoring processes, calculating impacts, and lobbying. www.aradvocates.org

Arkansas Kids Count Coalition, same address as AACF (above). A collaborative effort of more than 40 organizations and many more individuals who share a common interest in the well-being of Arkansas children. Formed in 1996, the Coalition is a part of the national Kids Count initiative, which seeks to put the needs of children and families at the top of the nation's agenda. Kids Count is a project of the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.  www.aradvocates.org/kidscountcoalition

Arkansas Voices Contact: Dee Ann Newell, Centers for Youth and Families, 5905 Forest Place, Little Rock, AR 72207. A statewide coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to raising public awareness of the harmful effects of parental incarceration on the children of non-violent offenders. The coalition is particularly highlighting mothers in prison for two reasons: (1) Women are the fastest-growing segment of the prison population. (2) The majority of these women are young mothers of children under age twelve. Email: lujo@aristotle.net