DIVISION
OVERSEEING ARKIDS FIRST
SPENDS MORE ON ADMINISTRATION THAN PROGRAMS
First in a series
on the ARKids First program.
(September 2006) The Division of County Operations, which oversees the
ARKids First program within the Arkansas Department of Health and Human
Services, has spent more on administrative costs than on programs serving
the needy, public records show.
The department's annual statistical report shows the Division of County
Operations spent more on "administration" than "programs"
in fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. The Division oversees programs
including ARKids First, which provides taxpayer-subsidized health insurance
to minors in families earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty
level. Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee started the program in September
1997. Data on administrative costs and programs is not available online
for fiscal years 1998, 2003 and 2004.
The following chart shows the amount of tax dollars spent by the Division
of County Operations on administration and programs since ARKids First
was established:
| Fiscal Year1 | Administration | Programs |
| 1998 | NA | NA |
| 1999 | $89,300,000 | $63,000,000 |
| 2000 | $92,500,000 | $79,000,000 |
| 2001 | $96,300,000 | $89,300,000 |
| 2002 | $91,800,000 | $65,200,000 |
| 2003 | NA | NA |
| 2004 | NA | NA |
1 The department's fiscal year starts in July and ends in June.