The House Finance Committee is holding public testimony this week on the state FY23 Operating Budget (HB69). This is your opportunity to tell your story and let your legislators know that child care still needs financial support!
House Finance Committee Public Testimony Schedule
- Thursday, March 3 from 2 to 4 p.m.
- Communities: Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg, Delta Junction, Dillingham, Glennallen, Valdez, Wrangell, Homer, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Seward, Tok
- Call-in (2-minute limit)
- Anchorage 907-563-9085;
- Juneau 907-586-9085
- Statewide [“Off-Net”] 844-586-9085
- Written testimony to house.finance@akleg.gov
- Call-in (2-minute limit)
- Communities: Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg, Delta Junction, Dillingham, Glennallen, Valdez, Wrangell, Homer, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Seward, Tok
- Friday, March 4 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
- Communities: Fairbanks, Kenai, Mat-Su, Anchorage, Bethel, Cordova, Kotzebue, Nome, Utqiagvik
- Call-in (2-minute limit)
- Anchorage 907-563-9085
- Juneau 907-586-9085
- Statewide [“Off-Net”] 844-586-9085
- Written testimony to house.finance@akleg.gov
- Call-in (2-minute limit)
- Communities: Fairbanks, Kenai, Mat-Su, Anchorage, Bethel, Cordova, Kotzebue, Nome, Utqiagvik
- Saturday, March 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Statewide
- Call-in (2-minute limit)
- Anchorage 907-563-9085
- Juneau 907-586-9085
- Statewide [“Off-Net”] 844-586-9085
- Call-in (2-minute limit)
- Written testimony to house.finance@akleg.gov
- Statewide
Suggested Talking Points for Your Testimony:
- Thank the House Finance Committee for their support of the proposed FY23 operating budget which includes early childhood resources and services such as child care benefits, infant learning and early learning coordination, Pre K, and other family supports. These critical resources play a vital role in our children’s future!
- Thank the House Finance Committee for the legislature’s designation of federal funds last year for early childhood education. These funds are helping to stabilize the child care sector but more investment is needed as the sector is still in crisis.
- Remind them that now is not the time to make any cuts to early childhood education. Cuts mean less access to high-quality care across the state.
- Now is the time to increase investment in Pre-K and child care to ensure these businesses fully recover and survive, and ensure access to high-quality care throughout Alaska. Now is the time to help families afford child care and return to work.
- Share your stories! Share your experience through the pandemic, and explain how your early childhood program and/or your families would benefit from additional investment.
Thank you for testifying and for letting our leaders know how vital child care is to families — and to Alaska.