Governor establishes task force on child care

On Thursday, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued Administrative Order 346, establishing the Governor's Task Force on Child Care.

The purpose of the task force is to develop a plan to improve the availability and affordability of quality child care throughout Alaska. Task force members are asked to consult existing resources, including strategic plans and needs assessments on child care, to develop specific policy recommendations.

"Access to quality child care is extremely important to working families," said Governor Dunleavy. "Healthy families and a healthy economy go hand in hand, and improving access to child care is essential for both."

The Alaska Department of Health is working on 3 contracts that will provide additional information to support the Child Care Task Force. The Department is working on updating the market rate survey and workforce study and a new cost of care study, something not done in Alaska before.

“Healthy families start with supporting Alaska’s youngest residents and ensuring access to quality childcare," said Department of Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg.

The Governor’s Task Force will consist of 11 voting members, including 8 who are not state officials, 2 ex-officio members and 1 advisory member that Commissioner Hedberg will designate from the Alaska Child Care Program Office.

“It is essential for us to receive input from employers, nonprofit organizations, childcare providers, Tribal entities and elected officials to address child care challenges statewide. This work will mobilize support from statewide partners to move from discussing the issues to implementing solutions that will have positive long-lasting impacts,” she said.

“Parents need high-quality child care, provided in a safe environment,” said Heidi Teshner, Acting Commissioner of the Department of Education & Early Development.

“We understand that parents are empowered to give their best efforts at work when they can do so with confidence, knowing their children are being cared for in a safe and healthy environment.”

Lack of affordable, quality child care presents a significant challenge to working parents, something Department of Labor and Workforce Development Acting Commissioner Cathy Muñoz acknowledges.

“We stand ready to support the recommendations of the task force and will work alongside Alaska’s employer community to implement affordable solutions that address this pressing need.”

An initial report due to the Governor by the end of the year, and will encompass evidence-based policy solutions to key child care workforce limitations, including recruitment, retention, compensation and benefits and identifying child care regulations that pose barriers to increasing the availability of licensed childcare slots, without compromising quality and safety.

The report is also expected to contain solutions to incentivize employer-sponsored child care facilities or benefits, recommendations to foster public-private partnerships addressing child care workforce and affordability challenges, and other innovative solutions that the task force recommends for delivering affordable, quality child care.

Another component expected is a framework for a pilot program to offer on-site child care facilities in a State of Alaska office that will serve as a model for employer-provided child care benefits

The order takes effect immediately.