Teaming Up for Back to School Success

The back-to-school season can be overwhelming for families facing housing instability, poverty, or trauma. But thanks to continued collaboration across nonprofits and schools, the safety net for families in Sebastian and Crawford Counties continues to grow stronger.

Community leaders from both counties gathered to discuss how to support families navigating back-to-school challenges. From school supplies and transportation to missing documentation and childcare, the conversation focused on addressing real needs with real solutions—together.

Beth Presley, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club, reminded the community that many families remain unaware of the affordable after-school care available to them. With annual memberships as low as $30—and TANF scholarships available—the organization ensures children have a safe, educational environment beyond the classroom.

“We are the least expensive childcare in the state of Arkansas,” Presley shared. The club offers more than athletics—it includes STEM programming, robotics, and even a chess club. Presley noted that food insecurity is also a central concern and emphasized the club's role in addressing both educational and nutritional needs.

“When a single mom picks up her kid, their homework is done, they've been fed, and they've had some fun.”

Yet, even at such a low cost, Presley acknowledged that affordability remains a barrier for large families. $30 may not seem like a lot, but for parents with four, five, six children, the $30 can add up.

Mariann Yates of the Hand to Hand Foundation noted something similar when it comes to school supplies for children going back to school. For large families, school supply lists can be a burden.

“One of the biggest challenges for parents is the overwhelming amount of supplies kids need when they go back to school,” she said. Her organization helps bridge that gap by also providing essentials like shoes and clothes.

Many families facing crisis situations—such as homelessness, fire, or financial hardship—struggle not only with basic needs but also with navigating a complex web of school paperwork and services. In those moments, collaboration and systems like HopeHub become essential lifelines.

HopeHub is a collaborative case mangement system used by participants of the 100 Families Initiative to work together to help families thrive.

“Sometimes giving families a list of resources can be so overwhelming that the likelihood of them actually following through with those is unlikely,” said Mariann Yates. “HopeHub has been a crucial turning point in helping families.”

Jeanne Carroll, the Families in Transition Liaison for FSPS, works closely with students experiencing homelessness and plays a critical role in connecting them to necessary services. Known affectionately as "the resource lady," Carroll says community collaboration has been incredibly helpful in her work.

"When it comes to missing documentation," Carroll says, "HopeHub has been so helpful because often the family has misplaced it but HopeHub has it."

Courtnee Harlan, coordinator for the Sebastian County 100 Families Initiative, shared a specific example of a family who lost all of their important documents in a house fire—but because their information had been logged in HopeHub, the family was able to quickly access the documentation needed to get back on track.

Social worker Melinda Hyatt emphasized the importance of simply getting children in the door: “Just get the kids to school. We’ll make sure they have everything they need.”

She and others stressed that paperwork, supplies, and medical requirements—while important—should not be a barrier to attendance. Resources like gas cards and bus tickets help ensure families make it to doctor appointments, which are often required for school entry.

Hyatt also spoke to the emotional and logistical strain many families face: “Sometimes our families are so overwhelmed with all the things they have to do that they just don't do it because they have to have their basic needs met and all this paperwork from the school is just too much.”

A common thread in the discussion was the need to support not just students, but entire families. Coordinators Courtnee Harlan (Sebastian County) and Tara Morrell (Crawford County) with the 100 Families Initiative reflected on how the system must shift from focusing solely on student performance to achieving whole-family stability.

“Being a teacher is much more than just teaching,” Harlan said.

Myron Heckman, Director of Secondary Learning Services for Van Buren emphasized the importance of not only providing direct support to students, but also equipping educators to be part of the solution.

“We want [students] leaving with a plan,” he said, referring to the need for intentional intervention and tutoring to help overcome the summer learning gap. He added that preparing and educating teachers about available resources is essential for meeting students’ needs holistically.

Hyatt closed with a reminder that collaboration is key.

“I need everyone in here to be able to do my job,” she said. “You’re not on an island. Just talking to everyone is the best thing you can do.”

Through shared documentation systems, affordable care, supply donations, and open communication, this network of support is transforming how families prepare for school—and how communities work together to meet their needs.