ANNOUNCEMENT

OEC would like to welcome all ABC providers to join us for office hours via Zoom. During office hours, the OEC team will be providing answers to questions about the updated Rules Governing the Arkansas Better Chance Program. You may joint the Zoom live, or view the recorded sessions under Training Videos and Resources.

Arkansas Better Chance 

The Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program was created in 1991to offer high quality early education services to children birth to five exhibiting developmental and socio-economic risk factors.  In 2003, the Arkansas Legislature made a commitment to expand early childhood education to serve low-income three and four-year old children in areas at high risk for academic failure with high quality pre-k services.  This expansion, known as the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success, has become the state pre-kindergarten program.  The ABC program models are Center-Based programs, Home-Visiting programs (HIPPY and PAT) and Family Child Care Homes. 

Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards

The Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards: Birth through 60 Months provide a set of common expectations for what children typically know, understand, and are able to do at different ages in early childhood. They are research-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate, comprehensive, and are written with the understanding that children reach developmental milestones at different times. The Standards are designed to assist in developing age-appropriate learning goals for children, to support developmentally appropriate curriculum and assessment, and to outline a progression of development and learning that supports success in school and in life.

•  Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards: Birth through 60 Months (PDF)
•  Estándares de Desarrollo Infantil y Aprendizaje Temprano de Arkansas: Desde el Nacimiento Hasta los 60 Meses (Spanish) (PDF)

BehaviorHelp Requests

Office of Early Childhood (OEC) has a system called BehaviorHelp to assist programs with behavioral challenges in young children. To submit a request for support, visit. https://www.behaviorhelponline.org. Please complete one request per child. Once the request is submitted, the OEC BehaviorHelp team will contact you as quickly as possible. If you have not been contacted within three business days, please email behaviorhelp@ade.arkansas.gov.

For more information, please contact: