LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Chanting “We stand strong, we stand together, Arkansas children deserve better,” dozens of childcare providers, parents, and advocates marched from the Arkansas Department of Education to the State Capitol, protesting policy changes they say could cripple the state’s childcare system.

The march follows the Arkansas Department of Education's announcement of new requirements that families receiving childcare vouchers must begin paying daily copays based on their income. At the same time, the state proposed slashing reimbursement rates for childcare providers — cuts that were scheduled to take effect October 1 before Education Secretary Jacob Oliva granted a 30-day pause following intense pushback.

For many providers, the pause offers little comfort.

“I feel like we are

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