Child Care Now
Dear Editor: Child care availability and a staffing shortage remain a crisis for Sitkans, impacting families, providers, local businesses, and the community. Sitkans are speaking out for child care. In September, child care was chosen as a priority goal at the Sitka Health Summit. Child Care Now was formed and a group of energized childcare advocates began working on short-term and long-term goals to tackle the local child care shortage. At the same time, the city Assembly passed their 2022-2027 Strategic Plan noting “access to child care” as essential to Goal 1. These organizations join the Sitka Tribe of Alaska in recognizing that the lack of child care is hurting Sitka.
Thank you! Child Care Now would like to thank local leaders who in October met with Blue Schibler, the executive director for Southeast Alaska’s Association for the Education of Young Children to learn how our municipality and large employers can contribute to local child care solutions: John Leach, city administrator; Breanne Erickson and Scott Jungwirth from the HR department of SEARHC; Rachel Roy from Chamber of Commerce; Melonie Boord and Jean Swanson of Sitka Tribe of Alaska; Kari Sagel and Joel Warner of Child Care Now; and Doug Osborne representing the Health Summit Coalition. Thank you to Blue Schibler for sharing her experienced knowledge with our community.
Short-term goals:
– Support Sitka 4-H in providing a baby-sitter’s certification course in January. The class will provide teens with skills and knowledge to begin their child care careers. Child Care Now is providing money to fund the class and award bonuses to teens who take the course and complete at least five baby-sitting jobs. Let’s create a child care system built on sustainable careers worthy of our youths to aspire to.
– Create a child care substitute teacher list for licensed child care programs. Sitka needs qualified people – those with at least 12 college credits in early childhood or a related field. When an administrator with these credentials is absent, a program must close. A shared substitute list would help prevent closures. Please email Annette Evans at evansann@sitkaschools.org if you would like your name added to the list.
– Recruit community members to join the Health Needs and Human Services Commission which has been assigned by the city Assembly to seek solutions for our community’s child care needs. Currently there are not enough volunteers to have a quorum.
– By participating in this advisory body, volunteers make an important contribution to the community. Their input and recommendations to the Assembly ensure a strong public voice. Volunteers are one of Sitka’s most valuable assets. If interested in joining a commission, you can go to: the City and Borough of Sitka Alaska – Boards and Commissions (cityofsitka.com).
Other short-term goals include pursuing large employer and municipal solutions to the child care crisis and developing a public information plan to keep Sitkans informed of child care news and opportunities.
Child Care Now has a long-term goal to create a thriving, sustainable, affordable, accessible quality child care system in Sitka. This will include advocating at the local and legislative level.
If you would like to help with child care solutions, you can email Kari Sagel at sagelk@sitkaschools.org to receive Zoom links to future Child Care Now meetings.
Annette Evans,
Parent, child care advocate,
Ventures Coordinator
