Arkansas Leaders Unite to Advance the 10:33 Initiative

Around a table, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders met with Secretary Janet Mann of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Secretary Jacob Oliva of the Arkansas Department of Education, Sen. Tyler Dees, Dr. Jared Cleveland, Superintendent of Springdale School District, Amy Grigg of Family Advocacy, Nick Braschler and Keisha Fowler of Simmons Foods, Heather Dean Webb of Arkansas Family Alliance, Karen Phillips of Restore Hope, Carlos Garbutt of 100 Families, and Morgan Warbington of Governor's Faith Based Initiative's Office.

The collaborative round table discussion explored innovative ways to strengthen Arkansans through the 10:33 Initiative during the Capital for a Day event in Siloam Springs.

The collective goal of these leaders and their organizations is to work together so families experience a true "no wrong door" approach to accessing help. Rather than asking people to navigate disconnected services on their own, the 10:33 Initiative seeks to align partners around shared outcomes, coordinated case management, and long-term solutions that address the root causes of instability.

Restore Hope Chief of Operations Karen Phillips explained that this kind of collaboration changes how organizations serve people.

"Whenever they come in for help, they're finding access to more than just than what they they come in the door for because the truth is they need more than that. In fact, that's probably not going to solve their problem, whatever they came in the door for. It's much more complex than that and it requires a longer-term plan than 'I need my hotel bill pay tonight.'"

Rather than treating a single need in isolation, Phillips described how coordinated support teams can identify underlying challenges and connect families with the right partners at the right time.

She pointed to practical examples of how collaboration removes barriers.

Whether helping someone understand why they have a suspended driver's license, connecting them with a Department of Human Services representative on a support team, or coordinating services across organizations, the goal is to reduce obstacles while creating incentives for agencies to work together instead of independently.

For Phillips, Arkansas already has many of the resources needed to create lasting change. The missing ingredient is alignment.

"When we are all aligned together and running in the same direction, that passion turns into outcomes and that's what we wanna see."

She believes Arkansas is uniquely positioned to demonstrate what that alignment can accomplish.

"I believe that Arkansas can lead the nation because we're all gonna be aligned and running in the same direction and that's what it's gonna take."

That spirit of collaboration was reflected not only in the organizations and the conversation represented at the table, but also in the tangible steps toward alignment these parties have recently taken.

The Springdale School District and UAMS will serve as the new backbone organizations for the 100 Families alliances in Washington and Benton Counties, expanding the reach of the Governor's 10:33 Initiative in Northwest Arkansas. Carlos Garbutt, former coordinator for the 100 Families Initiative in Benton County, will oversee the training and implementation of these alliances as they adopt the collaborative case management model, HopeHub technology, and the initiative's no wrong door philosophy.

The partnership represents a significant opportunity to connect education, healthcare, human services, businesses, faith communities, and nonprofits through a common framework focused on strengthening families.

Dr. Jared Cleveland emphasized a desire to work closely with the Department of Human Services and community organizations to ensure families receive coordinated support before challenges become crises. By connecting parents with housing assistance, employment resources, behavioral health services, food security, transportation, and other community supports, schools can help create healthier families and ultimately healthier learning environments where students are better positioned to succeed.

The inclusion of UAMS also expands opportunities to address maternal health and early childhood outcomes through stronger coordination between healthcare providers and community partners. By integrating healthcare into the broader support network, families can receive not only medical care but also assistance with the social and economic barriers that often affect long-term health.

Governor Sanders thanked partners for their willingness to work together.

"It takes a team and it takes all the different pieces coming together and each one of you represent a big part of the solution of really helping boost people up and transform their lives which is the ultimate goal."

She encouraged organizations across Arkansas to continue expanding the collaborative network.

"We want to see that just continue and bring more stakeholders to the table, get more and more people engaged in the process so that we can continue to provide more wraparound services for more people in state."

The discussion in Siloam Springs demonstrated a growing movement across Arkansas to rethink how communities respond to poverty, family instability, and crisis. By aligning schools, healthcare systems, state agencies, businesses, faith communities, and nonprofits around shared outcomes, the 10:33 Initiative is building an ecosystem where innovation is measured not by new programs alone, but by stronger partnerships and better results for families.