OPINION: Funding solutions to Anchorage’s child care crisis

Anchorage’s child care shortage is crippling our economy. Many families are struggling to find affordable options, and there aren’t enough spots for all the kids who need care. That’s why most voters supported Proposition 14 last year, leading to the creation of the Anchorage Child Care and Early Education (ACCEE) Fund. This fund dedicates city taxes on marijuana sales to help improve child care and early education.

Since its inception, the ACCEE Fund Implementation Team has been hard at work, laying the groundwork for this ambitious initiative. Over the past 10 months, the team engaged hundreds of community members and stakeholders through a public survey, presentations, and meetings with local partners and experts, and delved into research on child care and early education best practices and trends. Based on those findings, the team proposed the ordinance that now establishes the structure and membership of the ACCEE Fund board and a final report that provides an initial road map to help stabilize the child care and early childhood system.

The ACCEE Fund Board will be responsible for ensuring the ACCEE Fund is used effectively and strategically. The Anchorage mayor’s office is expected to present its board appointments to the Assembly soon. This board will be instrumental in shaping the future of child care and early education in Anchorage, and its composition will reflect a diverse array of stakeholders, including parents and early educators.

In the meantime, the Implementation Team developed a proposed 2025 budget for the ACCEE Fund, informed by months of research and community engagement. It has been submitted to the mayor’s office for consideration as part of our final report. The proposed budget is designed to enhance access to child care, support early education programs, and improve service quality. Over the next few months, the municipal budget will undergo a thorough review process, including public hearings and input sessions. We invite the community to stay engaged in this process, as public feedback will be crucial to refining the budget and ensuring it meets the needs of Anchorage’s families.

While the ACCEE Fund is a significant step forward, we must be realistic about the crisis at hand. The $5 million expected annually from marijuana tax revenue is not enough to address all the challenges in our child care and early education system. The sector has been chronically underfunded and undervalued for decades, and the need far exceeds the resources currently available. Nevertheless, the establishment of the ACCEE Fund is a landmark achievement, providing our community with its most reliable and comprehensive child care and early education funding source to date.

As we move forward, we need everyone to stay involved. Please tune into the budget process and share your thoughts. Your opinions matter. Help us create a better child care system for all kids in Anchorage. You can send your thoughts on the budget to the Anchorage Assembly at wwmas@anchorageak.gov. Together, we can make Anchorage a better place for our children to grow and learn.

Jessica Simonsen and Trevor Storrs are the co-chairs of the Anchorage Child Care and Early Education Fund Implementation Team. Other volunteer Implementation Team members include Eric Croft, Nora Matell, Kathleen McArdle, Branwen Collier, Jade Hayden, Anna Brawley, Kameron Perez-Verdia, Carl Jacobs, Katrina Ahlfield, Melinda Myers, Heather Weafer, Kimberly Rash, Dawn Skeete and Ethan Pettigrew. This commentary was written on behalf of the entire Implementation Team.

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