Assembly Hears Call for Child Care Action

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Category: News

Created on Thursday, 06 February 2025 14:58

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By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The lack of affordable child care affects employers looking for workers, parents struggling to maintain or find work, and families trying to afford to live in Sitka, the Assembly was told at last week’s meeting.
    “With all these challenges, our community stands on a demographic cliff, with an aging population, lower school enrollment, fewer births and a housing situation that makes in-migration challenging,” said Annette Evans, vice chair of the Sitka Health Needs and Human Services Commission.
    She and other commission members provided updates at the start of the regular Assembly meeting about goals related to the ongoing child care shortage, and elder services, which were two commission goals from 2024. Evans asked for a work session with the Assembly to discuss child care soon.
    “Assembly members, you have an opportunity to take meaningful action now in supporting the development of a community-wide strategy that will improve access to child care, affordability of child care and strengthen the child care workforce,” she said.
    Solving the shortage and making child care more affordable will in turn strengthen the economy and stabilize Sitka’s demographics, she said.
    According to the ad hoc group Early Childhood Coalition, there is only one spot available for every 3.5 children under the age of five, and only 7 to 14% of Sitka’s infants and toddlers have child care. “High costs, ranging from 13-20% of median household income, far exceed the 7% affordability benchmark set by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services,” the city said in this year’s legislative priorities.
    Evans told the Assembly the child care issue is not new in Sitka, but the pandemic stressed business models for daycare centers throughout Alaska. (One childcare nonprofit estimated that Alaska lost nearly 25% of its small child care businesses since the pandemic.)
    Senate Bill 189, which passed during the last legislative session, provided $6.1 million annually for child care assistance, provided millions in business tax credits to encourage investment in programs, and increased the income threshold for child care assistance.
    “Yet despite this action, child care program business models continue to unravel into the red and without a sustainable source of revenue beyond tuition,” Evans said.
    The commission’s report included recommendations for Assembly action:
    –– City and Borough of Sitka fund existing child care and early education programs. “An alcohol tax ordinance is recommended as a source of revenue, and developing a working relationship Memorandum of Agreement with Association for the Education of Young Children to distribute and safeguard the funds,” the report said.
    –– the city subsidize, discount or offer free utilities for licensed child care centers
    –– the city identify any school or city-owned facility, or support acquiring a facility, “wherein development of a community supported child care facility can begin”
    –– the city investigate incentives for businesses to support employees with the cost of child care
    –– the city continue to include child care on the Legislative Priorities list. The city’s priorities list for state and federal help seeks dedicated funding to increase wages for child care providers, “enable sector growth,” and reduce the burden on local government
   –– continue supporting the city’s Strategic Plan action item 1.4: Continue to facilitate community partners to develop a community-wide strategy to improve access to child care.
    Evans said the commission is requesting a work session with the Assembly to discuss the issues.
    Concluding her presentation Evans said:
    “Lack of child care availability is a problem, however, it’s one that our federal government has been able unable to address. Therefore, solutions for community child care issues need to start at the community level, with municipal involvement that is aimed to address child care as part of its long term infrastructure.”
    The Sentinel will have a story in Friday’s edition on the Sitka Health Needs and Human Services Commission report on elder services in the community.