Child Care Assistance gets funding from state

The local Child Care Assistance program, located at the Alaska Family Resource Center in the Mat-Su Borough, received more than $300,000 in grants Tuesday. The funds were part of a larger statewide distribution; the Department of Health and Social Service granted more than $5 million in child-care grants to Alaska communities and organizations that provide services to children.

"This grant will be sent to us directly from Juneau," said Don Bennice, executive director of the Alaska Family Resource Center. "It will be used to cover administration costs."

The Child Care Assistance program helps parents with the cost of child care to allow those parents to work or attend school or work-training programs.

"It is really a great program," Bennice said. "It provides low- to moderate-income families assistance for child care. A lot of these parents would not be able to work if without it."

With the governor looking to cut spending in all departments. Bennice said there was a time when he was worried about the funding for the program.

"There was some concern," Bennice said. "The question was always how much [would be provided], not if it would be cut."

The grant is smaller than earlier years (at one point the program received $2.6 million), but Bennice said the center will make do. He recommends anyone with financial child care obstacles to come to the center and see if Child Care Assistance can help.

"It may be one of the best-kept secrets in the Valley," Bennice said.