What Is the Arkansas Better Chance Program? A Simple Guide to Its Services for Families and Kids

The Arkansas Better Chance Program, often called ABC, isn’t a shelter. But for families sleeping in cars, couch-surfing, or staying in emergency shelters, it’s one of the only real lifelines to stable childcare and a chance to get back on their feet.

What the Arkansas Better Chance Program Actually Does

The Arkansas Better Chance Program gives financial help to low-income families so they can afford licensed childcare. That’s it. But that simple thing changes everything. If you’re working, going to school, or looking for a job-and you have kids under 13-you might qualify for help paying for daycare, preschool, or after-school care.

It’s run by the Arkansas Department of Human Services. The state pays the childcare provider directly. Parents don’t get cash. They get access. And that access means they can show up to work on time, attend class without worrying about who’s watching their child, or attend job training without leaving their kid alone.

In 2024, over 38,000 Arkansas children received care through ABC. Most of those families were living at or below the federal poverty line. Many were staying in shelters, transitional housing, or with relatives because they couldn’t afford rent. For them, ABC isn’t a luxury. It’s the reason they don’t lose their job or drop out of school.

Who Qualifies for the Arkansas Better Chance Program?

You don’t have to be homeless to qualify. But if you are, ABC can be the key to stability. Here’s who it’s for:

• Parents or guardians earning up to 115% of the federal poverty level (about $33,000 a year for a family of three in 2025)
• Children under 13 years old (or up to 18 if they have special needs)
• Parents working at least 20 hours a week, enrolled in school at least 15 hours a week, or actively seeking employment
• Arkansas residents

Even if you’re staying in a shelter, you can apply. You don’t need a permanent address. Many shelters help families fill out the paperwork. Some even have social workers on-site who know how to get ABC approval fast.

How It Works: From Application to Daycare

Applying takes about 30 minutes. You can do it online through the Arkansas DHS portal, by phone, or in person at a local office. You’ll need:

• Proof of income (pay stubs, unemployment letter, or a statement if you’re unemployed)
• Proof of residency (a utility bill, shelter letter, or even a letter from a social worker)
• Birth certificates for your children
• Photo ID

Once approved, you pick a licensed childcare provider-daycare center, home-based provider, or after-school program. The state pays them directly. You might pay a small co-pay, depending on your income. Some families pay as little as $5 a week. Others pay nothing.

Approval usually takes 7 to 14 days. If you’re in crisis-like you just got out of a shelter and need care tomorrow-you can ask for emergency approval. Many providers will hold a spot while paperwork finishes.

Why It Matters for Families in Shelters

Think about this: You’re staying in a homeless shelter. You have two kids. You just got a job cleaning offices at night. But you can’t work unless someone watches your kids. No one else can afford to babysit. Your only option? Quit the job. Stay stuck.

ABC breaks that cycle. It turns a job from impossible into possible. It turns school from a dream into a reality. It turns homelessness from a permanent state into a temporary one.

Studies show that children in ABC-funded care are more likely to start kindergarten ready to learn. Their parents are more likely to keep their jobs. And families using ABC are 40% more likely to move out of shelters within a year than those who don’t.

This isn’t charity. It’s infrastructure. It’s the quiet system that keeps people from falling through the cracks when everything else falls apart.

What ABC Doesn’t Cover

It’s important to know the limits. ABC pays for licensed childcare only. It doesn’t cover:

• Summer camps (unless part of an after-school program)
• Private tutoring
• Transportation to and from care
• Emergency foster care
• Housing assistance

If you need housing help, you have to apply separately through the Arkansas Housing Authority or local shelters. But ABC often works with these groups. Many shelters have case managers who help families apply for both ABC and housing programs at the same time.

How to Get Started

If you or someone you know needs help:

1. Call the Arkansas DHS Family Support Line at 1-800-482-8988. They speak Spanish and other languages.
2. Visit dhs.arkansas.gov/abc to start an application.
3. Go to your local Department of Human Services office. Many are inside or next to homeless shelters.
4. Ask your shelter’s social worker for help. They’ve done this hundreds of times.

Don’t wait until you’re desperate. Apply as soon as you know you need childcare. There’s no deadline. No waiting list for emergency cases. And if you’re turned down, you can appeal. Most denials are because of missing paperwork-not because you don’t qualify.

Real Stories, Real Impact

Jamila moved into a women’s shelter in Little Rock with her three-year-old after leaving an abusive relationship. She was working part-time at a diner but couldn’t afford daycare. She applied for ABC on a tablet at the shelter’s computer station. Two weeks later, her daughter was in a licensed home daycare. Jamila got her hours doubled. She’s now saving for an apartment.

Carlos, a single dad in Fort Smith, was sleeping in his truck while studying to be a medical assistant. His 5-year-old daughter went to ABC-funded preschool three days a week. He graduated last spring. He’s working at a clinic now. He says ABC didn’t just help his daughter-it kept him from giving up.

These aren’t rare cases. They’re the norm for families using ABC.

What Happens When ABC Isn’t Enough?

There’s a catch: The program is underfunded. In 2024, over 12,000 eligible children in Arkansas were on a waiting list. Some wait months. That’s why shelters and nonprofits often step in-they provide temporary care, food, and help families navigate the system.

But ABC is still the best tool Arkansas has to help families break out of poverty. It doesn’t fix housing. It doesn’t fix wages. But it fixes one thing: the barrier between a parent and a job. And that one thing? It’s often enough to change a life.

If you’re in Arkansas and need childcare to keep your job or finish school, ABC is there. You just have to ask.

If you’re struggling to find childcare while trying to work, go to school, or escape homelessness, don’t give up. The Arkansas Better Chance Program exists for people exactly like you. You just need to take the first step.