Alaska
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| Strategy Name | Strategy Type(s) | Year | Funding Amount | Funding Source | Features at a Glance | |
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Anchorage Child Care and Early Education Fund
In April 2023, Anchorage voters approved Proposition 14, a ballot measure that allocates an additional $5 million to $6 million per year for child care and early education. Brought before voters with bipartisan support, Proposition 14 created the Anchorage Child Care and Early Education Fund (ACCEEF), which takes the revenue generated by the City of Anchorage’s 5 percent sales tax on marijuana purchases and dedicates it to child care and early education for Anchorage families. Instead of being funneled into the city’s general fund, as it has been for years, the revenue generated will be used to support child care or early education provider training, professional development, staffing, and wages; to fund the upkeep or the development of child care facilities; or to make child care slots more accessible for individual families. The ACCEEF will start accumulating in January 2024, and will be delivered in a variety of ways, including vouchers or grants to individual families and grants to early learning centers.
The measure also creates an Accountability Board of Child Care and Early Education, to be appointed by the mayor of Anchorage and confirmed by the Anchorage Assembly. The board will determine how best to use the tax revenues to make child care more accessible in Anchorage and to drive effective implementation. The board will advise the mayor and Assembly on use of the funds and will present a proposed budget to both annually. After the budget is reviewed and finalized by the mayor and Assembly, funds will be dispersed beginning in 2025.
LEARN MORE: ANCHORAGE CHILD CARE AND EARLY EDUCATION FUND
Sources:
Care for Kids Anchorage. (n.d.). About.
Alaska Public Media. (2023). Anchorage voters to decide on using marijuana taxes to fund early education, child care programs.
Anchorage Daily News. (2023). A ballot proposition aims to put Anchorage marijuana tax revenue toward easing the city’s child care crisis.
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2023 | $5 to 6 million annually |
City Dedicated Funding Stream
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Tax contributes $5 million to $6 million per year toward Anchorage early education and child care
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In April 2023, Anchorage voters approved Proposition 14, a ballot measure that allocates an additional $5 million to $6 million per year for child care and early education. Brought before voters with bipartisan support, Proposition 14 created the Anchorage Child Care and Early Education Fund (ACCEEF), which takes the revenue generated by the City of Anchorage’s 5 percent sales tax on marijuana purchases and dedicates it to child care and early education for Anchorage families. Instead of being funneled into the city’s general fund, as it has been for years, the revenue generated will be used to support child care or early education provider training, professional development, staffing, and wages; to fund the upkeep or the development of child care facilities; or to make child care slots more accessible for individual families. The ACCEEF will start accumulating in January 2024, and will be delivered in a variety of ways, including vouchers or grants to individual families and grants to early learning centers.
The measure also creates an Accountability Board of Child Care and Early Education, to be appointed by the mayor of Anchorage and confirmed by the Anchorage Assembly. The board will determine how best to use the tax revenues to make child care more accessible in Anchorage and to drive effective implementation. The board will advise the mayor and Assembly on use of the funds and will present a proposed budget to both annually. After the budget is reviewed and finalized by the mayor and Assembly, funds will be dispersed beginning in 2025.
LEARN MORE: ANCHORAGE CHILD CARE AND EARLY EDUCATION FUND
Sources:
Care for Kids Anchorage. (n.d.). About.
Alaska Public Media. (2023). Anchorage voters to decide on using marijuana taxes to fund early education, child care programs.
Anchorage Daily News. (2023). A ballot proposition aims to put Anchorage marijuana tax revenue toward easing the city’s child care crisis.
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Retaining Our Outstanding Teachers Awards
In 2022, the State of Alaska Child Care Program Office (CCPO) offered $3,000 payments to eligible early childhood teachers. To be eligible, educators were required to have a current/active membership in the Alaska SEED Registry; be employed in a licensed program; and be at any Career Ladder level (1-12). These awards represented an increase from the $500 per-person awards available in 2021. All SEED ROOTS awards were available on a first-come, first-served basis through an online application process. This program was funded by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Learn More: Alaska SEED ROOTs Award
Sources:
Thread. (2022). Alaska SEED ROOTs Award.
Department of Health. (2023). Alaska COVID-19 Relief Timeline.
US Department of Health and Human Services. (2022). Examples of State and Local Early Childhood Workforce Strategies.
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2022 |
CCDBG COVID Relief Allocations – CARES, CRRSE, ARPA (CCDF & Stabilization)
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Bonuses of $3,000 per educator
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In 2022, the State of Alaska Child Care Program Office (CCPO) offered $3,000 payments to eligible early childhood teachers. To be eligible, educators were required to have a current/active membership in the Alaska SEED Registry; be employed in a licensed program; and be at any Career Ladder level (1-12). These awards represented an increase from the $500 per-person awards available in 2021. All SEED ROOTS awards were available on a first-come, first-served basis through an online application process. This program was funded by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Learn More: Alaska SEED ROOTs Award
Sources:
Thread. (2022). Alaska SEED ROOTs Award.
Department of Health. (2023). Alaska COVID-19 Relief Timeline.
US Department of Health and Human Services. (2022). Examples of State and Local Early Childhood Workforce Strategies.
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Demographics Link copied!
Demographics Data Scorecard
State population
733,583 Source U.S. Census, 2022
Rural %
35.1% Source U.S. Census, 2022
Urban %
64.9% Source U.S. Census, 2022
Number of children 0–4
48,111 Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Poverty levels - children 0—8 below 200% poverty
33% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Median family income among households with children
$94,000.00 Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Unemployment rate
4.5% Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 2024
Unemployment rate of parents
7% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Children under age 6 with all available parents in the labor force
N/A Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Children living in households with a high housing cost burden
30% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Child Population by Race and Ethnicity Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Race and Ethnicity
- American Indian and Alaska Native (19%)
- Asian (5%)
- Black or African American (3%)
- Hispanic or Latino (10%)
- Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (2%)
- Two or more races (13%)
- White, not Hispanic or Latino (47%)
| Year | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
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| Governor | R | R | R | R | R |
| State House | S | R | R | R | R |
| State Senate | S | S | S | S | S |
Early Childhood Education Programs Link copied!
2023 Percent of 3-Year-Olds Enrolled in Early Childhood Education Programs Source NIEER, 2023
Programs
- Percent of 3-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Early Childhood Education Programs (2%)
- 3-Year-old Children Enrolled in Head Start (12%)
- Other/None (86%)
2023 Percent of 4-Year-Olds Enrolled in Early Childhood Education Programs Source NIEER, 2023
Programs
- Percent of 4-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Early Childhood Education Programs (9%)
- 4-Year-old Children Enrolled in Head Start (12%)
- Other/None (79%)
Workforce Link copied!
2017–2019 Median Hourly Wages Source CSCCE 2018, 2020
Role
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Child Care Workers
$12.54 (2017, adjusted)
$13.21 (2019) -
Preschool Teachers
$15.5 (2017, adjusted)
$15.15 (2019) -
Preschool or Child Care Center Directors
$30.19 (2017, adjusted)
$25.64 (2019)
Funding Sources Link copied!
Federal and State Early Childhood Education Funding (in Millions) Source First Five Years Fund, 2024
Funding Source
- Head Start and Early Head Start Funding ($58.1)
- CCDBG & Mandatory Funds ($23.3)
- CCDBG State Match ($5.3)
- State-Funded Pre-K ($5)
- MIECHV ($2)
- IDEA Part C ($2.6)
- IDEA Part B, Sec 619 ($1.4)
- TANF Early Learning and Care ($3.5)
- Preschool Development Grant Birth ($8)