What the Economic Opportunity Agency Offers Low-Income Families in Washington County.
The Economic Opportunity Agency of Washington County (EOA) is a nonprofit community action agency serving low-income families across Northwest Arkansas. From its Springdale office, EOA runs several federally and state-funded programs focused, as we give in the guide below. They range from energy assistance, early childhood development, emergency food, and specialized services for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. It is one of several resources available in the area — not the only place to turn — but for the programs it administers directly, it is a primary access point.
EOA is located at 614 Emma St., Suite M401, Springdale, AR 72764. The general phone number is (479) 872-7479, and email inquiries can be sent to [email protected]. Office hours are Monday through Thursday; call ahead to confirm availability and appointment requirements before visiting, as some programs require scheduled appointments rather than walk-ins.
- NOTE: Washington County has a large Latino community — one of the largest in Arkansas. Many families in this population navigate language barriers and limited access to public benefits they may be eligible for. EOA's programs serve this community alongside longer-established low-income residents of Fayetteville, Springdale, and the county's smaller rural towns.
Energy assistance — LIHEAP
EOA's longest-running direct assistance program is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. This is a federally funded program that helps qualifying low-income households pay their heating and cooling bills, with payments made directly to utility companies rather than to the household itself. The program operates in two modes.
The Regular Assistance component provides a fixed annual benefit based on household size and monthly income. Qualifying households can use this once per program year, and funds go directly to the energy provider — whether that's an electric company, a natural gas supplier, a propane vendor, or a wood supplier. The Crisis Intervention component is available to households in more urgent situations, specifically those facing disconnection or who have already lost service. Crisis assistance addresses the immediate emergency first, then works through the documentation requirements.
EOA's LIHEAP serves Washington County residents, but the program also covers households in Conway, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Perry, Polk, Pope, Scott, and Yell Counties — ten counties in total. If you live in any of these areas, EOA may still be your contact point for this program even if you're not in Washington County.
To apply, call (479) 872-7479 to schedule an appointment; walk-ins are no longer accepted. EOA also accepts applications through an online document upload portal.
- When you apply, you'll need to bring or submit photo ID, Social Security cards and birth dates for everyone in the household, your most recent electric and gas or propane bills, and documentation of all income received by household members in the prior month — pay stubs, Social Security award letters, unemployment records, child support, VA income, or similar. If you've lost a job recently, a letter from your former employer confirming your last day of employment is required in place of pay stubs. Income eligibility thresholds are revised annually, so call to confirm your household's current status rather than assuming you don't qualify. See the Arkansas LIHEAP guide page.
EOA Children's House
This is a program that many people searching for help in Washington County don't know to look for, but it addresses one of the more serious gaps in local children's services. EOA Children's House provides long-term therapeutic care and developmental support to children from six weeks through age five who have experienced abuse, neglect, or adverse childhood experiences. It is the only program of its kind in Arkansas, and one of the largest long-term child abuse prevention and treatment programs in the country.
Children who have experienced early trauma often show delayed development — sometimes by 18 months or more, depending on the severity. EOA Children's House works with each child to close that gap, coordinating with community partners to provide special education, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy as needed, with the goal that every child enters kindergarten at the same developmental level as their peers.
The program uses a whole-family model. Rather than treating the child in isolation, each family is paired with a trained Family Advocate who meets with them regularly to set goals around self-sufficiency and connects them to additional supportive services. This recognizes that lasting improvement for a child requires stability in the household around them.
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected in Washington County, the Arkansas child abuse hotline is 1-800-482-5964.
Head Start and Early Head Start
EOA's Head Start program is one of its largest and most established services, with several locations spread across Washington County. Early Head Start accepts infants from six weeks old, while Head Start serves children through age five. Both are federally funded and free to eligible families.
What Head Start actually provides goes considerably beyond a preschool classroom. Enrolled children receive early education from trained teachers, nutritional support including meals, and health screenings. The program also builds a connection between the family and the services they need — parents and guardians are treated as active participants, not just drop-off points. Staff connect families to job training, social services, and community resources that address the broader circumstances affecting a child's stability at home.
OA's locations include sites in Fayetteville — at Ellen Smith, Old Farmington Road, and the Ivory M. Conley location — and in Springdale at the Pat Walker Center for Children, Oak Avenue, Springdale Airport Road, and a site in Lincoln serving West Washington County. Families interested in enrolling can apply at https://eoawc.org/childrens-services/apply-now/.
Emergency food assistance — TEFAP
Through a partnership with the USDA's Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), EOA coordinates the distribution of federally donated commodity foods to low-income households in the area. Rather than operating a direct distribution site, EOA works with two established local partners: Bread of Life at 208 W. Emma Ave. in Springdale, and LifeSource in Fayetteville. These partner organizations handle the actual food pickup.
For the NWA Food Bank's mobile pantry schedule and a broader map of food resources in Washington County, EOA's website links directly to the NWA Food Bank's county-specific finder — visit https://eoawc.org/ or https://www.nwafoodbank.org/ for current distribution dates and locations. Or see the NHPB Washington County Arkansas food pantry list.
Child care assistance
EOA can connect qualifying families with child care assistance through Arkansas state programs, including the Arkansas Better Chance program and subsidized child care. The state provides child care support to low-income working parents, those in job training, and those enrolled in qualifying education programs. Contact EOA directly at (479) 872-7479 to ask about current availability and how to apply, as eligibility and enrollment processes are governed by state policies that change periodically. See the NHPB free or low-cost day care vouchers in Arkansas page.
How to reach EOA
The main office is at 614 Emma St., Suite M401, Springdale, AR 72764. Phone: (479) 872-7479. Email: [email protected]. Office hours run Monday through Thursday — call ahead before visiting, and for LIHEAP specifically, an appointment is required. The full program list and application resources are available at https://eoawc.org/.
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