Rich Huddleston: Improving Welfare Will Benefit Arkansas’ Future

Rich Huddleston

Before being named the executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families in July 2004, Rich Huddleston was the research and fiscal policy director for the nonprofit and was the lead program staff for its State Fiscal Analysis Initiative. He has an extensive background in research and public policy and has worked on a variety of issues affecting children.

Huddleston has a Master of Public Administration from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s in political science from Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Can you make a case that improving Arkansas children’s welfare is good for business?

It’s an overused adage, but children really are our future workforce. If Arkansas wants an economy that is going to produce more better-paying jobs, it has to have a skilled, innovative, competitive workforce. That starts at birth.

Children who grow up in poverty, especially in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty, face greater obstacles and are less likely to succeed in school and later in the workforce. We can’t continue to have more than one in four of our children grow up in poverty, rank 44th in overall child well-being, and have an education system that lags behind other states and nations and expect to have a skilled, innovative workforce that will attract or create better-paying jobs.

What’s the proper role of government in the lives of children and families?

Government’s role is to help ensure that all children — regardless of race, ethnicity, family income, gender or where they live — have the resources and opportunities to lead healthy, productive lives and realize their full potential.

All children need access to high-quality early childhood education and great health care, but it’s even more vital for low-income and vulnerable children so that they can overcome the extra barriers they face and have an equal opportunity to succeed. Family economic resources are a big part of this. We have to ensure that economically vulnerable families have the resources to meet their basic needs. And as a society, we must recognize that there will always be individuals and families who may never be able to completely support themselves, whether it’s because of a major disability, mental illness or another reason.

What’s the one most important thing the Arkansas Legislature could do to strengthen children and families?

It’s tough to name just one thing because children and families often have multiple needs. We released a report last year on “What Do #ARKIDSNEED from Birth to 8?” that outlines what all children need for a healthy start, a good education and a more economically secure family.

If I had to pick just one thing, it would be to enact a state refundable earned income tax credit (EITC), which puts money directly back into the pockets of low-income working families. Research has shown that the federal EITC, along with Social Security, has been the nation’s most successful antipoverty initiative. Over 20 states have enacted their own EITCs.

Your work — touching as it does on the most vulnerable in society, children — can be draining. What do you do to stay energized and positive?

I try to work out at the gym every day, even when I am traveling. It’s a great way to release stress after a long, tough day. At work, I make a special effort to hire really smart, creative, high-energy and committed people, even if we are likely to lose them in a couple of years to other employers who also recognize their great work. I would much rather have a staffer I have to rein in on occasion than someone I have to continuously push to do his or her job. It keeps me on my toes, and I am continuously learning new things from my staff.