The 45F Tax Credit and Mission-Ready Families Across Arkansas, childcare is becoming one of the biggest barriers to workforce stability. When employees cannot secure reliable care, the impact shows up everywhere—missed shifts, reduced hours, and turnover. Supporting families is no longer separate from supporting business performance. It is essential to building mission-ready families —families who are stable, supported, and able to fully engage in the work that keeps our comm

By: Patrick Hellman, M.Ed. Executive Director AEDU The Power of Play and the Future of Childcare in Arkansas In United States, childcare has quietly become one of the biggest barriers to workforce stability and family well-being. Fort Firefly was created to help change that. Across Arkansas, families searching for high-quality childcare often discover how scarce it truly is. What should be a basic support for working parents has become one of the most difficult resources to s