Building a Bridge
to
Childcare Stability
The Arkansas Childcare Bridge is a statewide childcare assistance program operated by Uniting Voices.
We are building an accountable pathway that connects charitable support with verified childcare needs through participating, vetted, and licensed childcare providers across Arkansas.
Our purpose is to help children remain in stable care, parents remain connected to work or training, and childcare providers maintain stronger enrollment continuity.
Why the Bridge Exists
Childcare is more than a household expense. It is part of the infrastructure that allows parents to work, children to maintain safe routines, employers to retain dependable workers, and childcare providers to sustain classrooms and staff.
When care becomes unaffordable or unstable, the disruption can affect an entire household. Parents may miss work, reduce hours, leave training, or lose income. Children may lose trusted caregivers, familiar schedules, and early-learning consistency. Providers may lose the reliable enrollment revenue needed to maintain operations.
The Arkansas Childcare Bridge was created to help address verified childcare affordability and continuity gaps through a responsible, privately supported assistance model.
How the Bridge Works
Charitable Support
Individuals, businesses, employers, foundations, faith communities, and other partners contribute to the inaugural campaign.
Participating Providers
Assistance operates through licensed Arkansas childcare providers that complete the required application, verification, participation, and reporting process.
Verified Family Need
Families may be considered based on documented childcare costs, household circumstances, employment or training needs, existing assistance, provider verification, and available funding.
Direct Provider Payment
Approved assistance is paid directly to the participating provider and applied only to the authorized child’s account and approved childcare period.
A Community-Supported, Accountable Program
The Arkansas Childcare Bridge Is
A statewide Arkansas childcare assistance program
Operated by Uniting Voices
Supported through charitable and private funding
Built around verified family need
Delivered through participating licensed providers
Structured around documentation, reporting, and measurable results
Intended to help families move toward stability and self-sufficiency
The Arkansas Childcare Bridge Is Not
A state subsidy program
A government entitlement
A promise of free childcare
A guarantee of family approval
A guarantee of provider payment
Unrestricted cash assistance to families
A duplicate payment source for an expense already covered by another program
A $2.2 Million Inaugural Campaign
Uniting Voices is leading a $2.2 million, 24-month national fundraising campaign to establish and deploy The Arkansas Childcare Bridge across Arkansas.
Campaign support may help fund approved childcare assistance, provider-network development, family and provider verification, payment administration, compliance, donor reporting, technology, impact measurement, and the operating systems required for responsible statewide growth.
The campaign is an inaugural launch goal. It is not a promise that every family will receive assistance or a claim that one campaign can solve every childcare challenge in Arkansas.
Our Inaugural Campaign
Operated by Uniting Voices
Uniting Voices is the nonprofit organization that owns and operates The Arkansas Childcare Bridge.
Its broader purpose is to connect communities, empower families, and advance purpose through charitable, educational, community, and humanitarian initiatives.
Uniting Voices is responsible for program oversight, fundraising, provider participation, family-assistance decisions, payment controls, recordkeeping, donor reporting, and impact measurement.
* The Arkansas Childcare Bridge is currently presented as a program operated by Uniting Voices.
Leadership Rooted in Childcare Experience
The program is led by Robin Slaton, founder and president of Uniting Voices.
Robin’s work includes nearly three decades of childcare leadership, family support, program development, team building, and community-centered service. Her experience working alongside children, families, teachers, and childcare providers helped shape the practical and accountable structure behind The Arkansas Childcare Bridge.