Alaska now has access to new resources of robust data detailing the supply and demand of early childhood education statewide.
thread has launched an interactive map and dashboard with statewide and regional information on early childhood education in Alaska. The data, compiled by McDowell Group, examines the affordability and availability of early education as well as school readiness of Alaska’s young children.
Alaska’s Early Care and Learning Data Dashboard shows that, statewide:
- More than 1 in 8 children under age 6 do not have access to needed early education services
- Families pay an average of 14% of their household income on licensed child care
- Only 31% of incoming kindergarteners consistently meet at least 11 of 13 developmental goals that help determine school readiness
The dashboard also presents local data for 29 borough and census areas.
Child Care Aware® of America has also recently released an updated data-rich story map of Alaska’s child care deserts, showing that:
- Juneau had one of the largest gaps between child care supply and demand in the state, with a deficit of 650 slots.
- Anchorage faces one of the state’s worst shortages of care for children under two years old, with 80 percent of the city’s infants and toddlers in working families lacking access to licensed care.
- There are only 800 part-time infant and toddler slots available for the entire state.
Analyzing the supply and demand of child care and developing policies to ensure all families have access to quality early childhood education is part of every state’s implementation of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014.
Together, these resources provide an important tool for Alaska’s policymakers, business investors, families, and communities to understand the needs of young children in the state.
Join thread’s Action Center today to stay up-to-date on early education in Alaska and find ways to get involved in closing the child care gap.