SHERWOOD, Ark. — After a mid-September announcement prompted an uproar from childcare providers across Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) has implemented new childcare reimbursement rates.

“We’ve won the battle, but not the war,” said Jody Abernathy, the director of DREAM, which is a Sherwood childcare center. “There's still work that needs to continue to be done.”

That was Abernathy’s reaction to a letter that was sent to childcare providers across the state on Monday.

The letter came from the Office of Early Childhood and announced new reimbursement rates for providers.

The new rates are an improvement to what was originally proposed on September 19th, and very close to what a task force of providers like Abernathy had recommended last week.

“I feel like this

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