The Arkansas Early Childhood Education Cost Models report, released in 2023 by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Research and Evaluation Division, uses cost modeling to examine the relationship between child care subsidy reimbursement rates and providers’ actual costs of delivering care. Drawing on factors such as staffing costs, inflation, classroom characteristics, program revenue, and changes to Arkansas’s Better Beginnings quality system, the analysis estimates the resources providers need to deliver care in rural, urban, and Northwest Arkansas. The findings can help inform decisions about reimbursement rates that support both family access to early learning and providers’ ability to operate sustainable, high-quality programs.
Access the full report here.