In the spring of 2023, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the Arkansas LEARNS Act into law. A comprehensive, transformative education reform law, LEARNS prioritized several components of education, including early learning. One of the requirements within the LEARNS Act is to improve the experience of families and providers by establishing local early childhood lead organizations. These organizations are tasked with the following: 

• Supporting access to early childhood programs;
• Identifying gaps in services;
• Fostering local partnerships;
• Creating alignment among public and private providers and agencies within the community; and
• Establishing a comprehensive, locally supported plan for providing early childhood programs and services. 

The third cohort of local early childhood leads has been selected! In partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education, the Office of Early Childhood has chosen six organizations to represent the final 10 counties across the state. Together with the first two cohorts, local leads now provide complete coverage for Arkansas. These organizations will be responsible for creating localized, comprehensive plans to ensure children and families have access to high-quality early childhood education in their communities. Check below to find out which organization is serving your county!

Local Early Childhood Lead Organization	Counties Served	Contact	Email
Arch Ford Education Service Cooperative	Van Buren and Yell	Kristen Weatherall	kristen.weatherall@archford.org
Arkansas River Education Cooperative	Arkansas, Cleveland, Jefferson, and Lincoln	Lindsey Burkett	burkettl@aresc.k12.ar.us
Arkansas State University, Child Care Aware	Chicot, Desha, Woodruff, Saint Francis, and Lee	Elizabeth Coakley	ecoakley@astate.edu
Child Care Aware of Northwest Arkansas	Benton	Destiney Baxter	dbaxter@nwachildcare.org
City of Little Rock	Little Rock	Jennifer Glasgow	jglasgow@littlerock.gov
Clarendon School District	Monroe, Prairie, and Phillips	Toshia Smith	smitht@lions.grsc.k12.ar.us
Conway School District	Faulkner	Dr. Dayna Lewis	daynalewis@conwayschools.info
Crowley’s Ridge Education Cooperative	Craighead, Poinsett, Crittenden, Cross, and Jackson	Wendy Green	wgreen@crmail.k12.ar.us
Dawson Education Cooperative	Clark, Pike, Hot Spring, and Grant	Shasta Pentecost	shasta.pentecost@dawsonesc.com
DeQueen Mena Education Service Cooperative	Montgomery, Polk, Howard, Sevier, and Little River	Karen Garner	karen.garner@dmesc.org
Early Education & Care Connections - Child Care Aware Central & SW Arkansas	Pulaski County (excluding City of Little Rock & Jacksonville School District)	Tiffani Fletcher	tiffani.fletcher@childcareawarecswa.org
Guy Fenter Education Cooperative	Crawford, Franklin, and Logan	Elizabeth Churchman	elizabeth.churchman@wscstarfish.com
IMPACT Independence County Foundation's Excel by Eight Collaborative	Independence	Jamie Rayford	jamie.rayford@batesvilleareachamber.com
Mississippi County Arkansas Economic Opportunities Commission, Inc.	Mississippi	Myia Jackson	myiajackson@mcaeoc.com
National Park College, Child Care Aware	Dallas, Garland, Perry, and Saline	Brandon Massey	brandon.massey@np.edu
Northcentral Arkansas Education Cooperative	Fulton, Sharp, Izard, and Stone	Julie Duncan & Heather Everett	julie.duncan@northcentralcoop.org heather.everett@northcentralcoop.org
Northeast Arkansas Education Cooperative	Lawrence, Randolph, Clay, and Greene	Chrissy Sain	csain@nea.k12.ar.us
Ozarks Unlimited Resources Education Service Cooperative	Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Johnson, Newton, and Searcy	Anne Cowie	acowie@oursc.k12.ar.us
Russellville School District	Pope	Jenny Barber	jenny.barber@rsdk12.net
South Central Arkansas Education Cooperative	Calhoun, Columbia, Ouachita, and Union	Zephonia Avant	zephonia.avant@scscoop.org
Southeast Educational Service Cooperative	Ashley, Bradley, Drew	Jessica Griffin	jessica.griffin@searkcoop.com
Southwest Arkansas Education Cooperative	Hempstead, Nevada, Miller, and Lafayette	Katlin Niemeyer	katlin.niemeyer@swaec.org
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith	Sebastian and Scott	Ronnette Haynes	Ronnette.Haynes@uafs.edu
Washington County Collaborative	Washington	Brandy Wolfenbarger	bwolfenbarger@washcolocalleads.com
White River Planning and Development District, Child Care Aware	Conway, Cleburne, and White	Debbie Mize	dmize@wrpdd.org
Wilbur D. Mills Education Service Cooperative	Lonoke and Jacksonville School District	Colleen Jobe	cjobe@wdmesc.org

For more information, please contact: