Legislative Agenda

thread’s vision is that all early care and learning is accessible, affordable, and high-quality to support positive outcomes for children and families. With this vision in mind, thread believes a combination of diverse policies are needed to stabilize the current child care system and lay the foundation for a stronger child care system moving forward.

ACCESS

Challenge: Alaska does not have enough child care to meet the demand

Goal: Sustainable funding for child care.
Design a funding model that will provide consistent funding to rebuild the child care market, focusing on innovation, partnerships, and quality.

Policy Brief: Sustainable Funding for Child Care in a Mixed-Delivery System

Recommendations

  • Allow for braided funding between local, state, and federal sources.
  • Encourage public-private partnerships with communities and businesses.

Impact – A higher quality of life for Alaska’s families &
communities

QUALITY

Challenge: Early education has a low skilled, underpaid workforce

Goal: Increase support for child care workforce
Establish wages and benefits for all early educators based on their education and level of experience to retain the workforce.

Policy Brief: Increase Support for Child Care Workforce

Recommendations

  • Wage/benefit parity with comparable education background; grants for start-up/capacity that include funding for higher wages.
  • Connect Learn & Grow (QRIS)/Alaska SEED participation to wage/benefit bonuses by reinstating the Alaska ROOTS (Retaining Our Outstanding Teachers) award.

Impact – Child care workforce is retained and
respected; young children receive continuity of
care

AFFORDABILTY

Challenge: Alaska’s child care costs exceed the cost of college

Goal: Decrease out-of-pocket child care costs
Reduce the out-of-pocket child care expenses for all Alaskans. Child care should cost no more than 7% of annual income.

Policy Brief: Decrease Out-of-Pocket Child Care Costs

Recommendations

  • Support innovative capacity building through the co-location of child care businesses within housing developments, workplaces, and educational institutions to reduce costs.
  • Use cost of care rather than market rate survey.

Impact – Increased well being of children and families; decreased reliance on public assistance

QUALITY, ACCESS

Challenge: Alaska needs a stable child care system with multiple options for families.

Goal: Mixed-delivery, high-quality child care system
Ensure future policies and programs support mixed-delivery and continued alignment of all early childhood programs to prepare young children for school and life.

Policy Brief: Providing Pre-K in a Mixed-Delivery System

Recommendations

  • Sharing publicly funded Pre-K teachers across both school-based and community-based child care programs.
  • Learn and Grow standards should be adopted as the high-quality standards framework for all early childhood programs.

Impact – Parent Choice, Continuity of Care & Strong Businesses

Taking Action for Child Care Today

  • Priority 1: Sustainable investment of $30.5M to secure child care sector as federal relief funding expires.
  • Priority 2: Approve House Bill 89 to expand eligibility for child care assistance and make child care more affordable for thousands of Alaskans.
View the Legislative Ask