The following was originally posted on Excel by Eight blog on October 14, 2020. Click here to access the original blog post.

In 2020, Arkansas legislators formed the Early Childhood Wellbeing Caucus to inform state lawmakers about ongoing issues and establish a legislative agenda for the Arkansas General Assembly. The caucus is co-chaired by Senator Trent Garner, a Republican, and Representative Denise Garner, a Democrat. At the initial meeting, members learned about the importance of early brain development, with a focus on prenatal to age three. Following a pause for COVID-19, the caucus met again to discuss the significant disruption to childhood vaccinations that resulted in 60,000 fewer shots in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 and the state’s ongoing efforts to help child care centers and family child care homes during the pandemic.