Ark. Code Ann. § 6-45-105 (2020)

1. 1. 1. The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall establish the Arkansas Better Chance Program to assist in the establishment and funding of the appropriate early childhood programs for children from birth through five (5) years of age.
      2. Within the Arkansas Better Chance Program there is established the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program for providing appropriate early care and education programs for children three (3) years of age and four (4) years of age as identified under § 6-45-108(a).
   2. 1. The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall award grants or contracts to appropriate early childhood programs selected by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in accordance with specified programmatic standards.
      2. 1. These standards will be developed by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, with the advice and assistance of the Arkansas Early Childhood Commission.
         2. Standards for funding the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) will be developed in conjunction with the Arkansas HIPPY Advisory Board.
      3. The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) regional technical assistance and training center shall be defined and funded as an integral part of the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) to provide necessary training, technical assistance, and program support to program sites in Arkansas.
2. The programmatic standards and other rules necessary for the implementation of the Arkansas Better Chance Program shall be adopted by the State Board of Education in accordance with the provisions of the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act, § 25-15-201 et seq.
3. 1. The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education may expend a maximum of two percent (2%) of available funds to administer the Arkansas Better Chance Program and to monitor Arkansas Better Chance Program grantees to ensure compliance with programmatic standards.
   2. The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education may contract with the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education to administer the Arkansas Better Chance Program.

History. Acts 1991, No. 212, § 1; 1991, No. 216, § 1; 1993, No. 923, § 1; 1997, No. 1132, § 38; 2003, No. 1332, § 4; 2009, No. 376, § 52; 2019, No. 315, § 332; 2019, No. 910, § 1815.

A.C.R.C. Notes. Acts 1997, No. 1132, § 41, provided: “That part of the General Education Division of the Department of Education pertaining to operations of the Early Childhood Commission, including only the two percent (2%) administrative component of the Better Chance Program, is hereby transferred by a Type 2 transfer as provided in § 25-2-105 to the Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.”

Amendments. The 2009 amendment, in (c), substituted “Arkansas Better Chance Program” for “program” in three places, and made a minor stylistic change.

The 2019 amendment by No. 315 deleted “and regulations” following “rules” in (b).

The 2019 amendment by No. 910 substituted “Division of Elementary and Secondary Education” for “Department of Education” in (a)(1)(A); substituted “The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education” for “Beginning with the 1991-1992 school year, the Department” in (a)(2)(A); and substituted “Division of Elementary and Second Education” for “department” in (a)(2)(A), (a)(2)(B)(i), (c)(1), and (c)(2).