Welcome to Episode Five of Woman Run – The Podcast, hosted by Wright Lindsey Jennings attorney Meredith Lowry. Meredith is joined by Keesa Smith, Executive Director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Keesa traces the organization’s nearly 50-year history, explains major policy wins, and outlines the urgent work on maternal health, childcare, and safety-net programs across Arkansas.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The origin and mission of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and why focusing on children advances whole-family economic mobility.
• How ARKids (Arkansas’s child health program) was built and why state-led solutions matter.
• The role of SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid in stabilizing families — and common myths about program users.
• Recent policy wins (school breakfast expansion; Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Act) and the ongoing fight to extend postpartum Medicaid to 12 months.
• Practical barriers to maternal care (provider shortages, transportation, coverage gaps) and why postpartum coverage saves lives.
• How community fundraising (Soup Sunday) and new data tools (the children’s fiscal map) power advocacy and local investment.

Highlights & Key Takeaways:

• Arkansas Advocates played a lead role in creating ARKids — an Arkansas model copied elsewhere.
• Extending postpartum Medicaid remains a top priority; Arkansas currently provides only 60 days of postpartum coverage versus 12 months in most states.
• Many people who rely on SNAP or Medicaid are working families; safety-net programs are often short-term bridges, not lifetime dependency.
• Childcare affordability is a workforce issue: high child-care costs reduce labor force participation and hurt local business.
• The new children’s fiscal map offers county-level visibility on how dollars for children are spent — a tool for smarter policymaking.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families
• ARKids (children’s health coverage)
• SNAP, WIC, Medicaid
• Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Act
• Soup Sunday (fundraiser)
• Children’s fiscal map (new resource)

Quotes:

• “One out of three births in Arkansas are paid for by Medicaid.” — Keesa Smith

Enjoy this episode, as an urgent, data-driven conversation about maternal health, childcare, and policies that strengthen Arkansas families. Follow Woman-Run and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families for updates and ways to help.