The City of Little Rock needed to rewrite the book on supporting youth and families. ACS created a community engagement process that informed the first ever three-year Master Plan for Children, Youth and Families. The plan hit the streets with unprecedented levels of buy in and community support.

How we did it: Little Rock needed a way to hone youth prevention, intervention, and treatment investments to deliver more targeted and positive outcomes, enhance youth’s skills and abilities, increase graduation rates and academic proficiency, and reduce youth crime and violence. ACS, in partnership with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College, worked to gather input and guide stakeholders in a way that ensured the effort took into account national promising practices and integrated local needs. ACS managed the planning process and guided city staff and local stakeholders to recommendations that engage families and youth at a grassroots level, make sure they are getting the services they need, and work with funded programs to raise the bar for services. ACS combined these elements into a cohesive citywide plan. The result? A Master Plan that provides a clear roadmap for a coordinated, citywide approach that ensures Little Rock’s children, youth, and families get what they need to thrive.

Outcomes: Since the plan was completed in June 2016, the city already has worked closely with partners and community to make significant strides in implementation, including revising standards and set of expected outcomes for city vendors and partners that lead youth-related programming.