Why ChildCare?

Win-Win

Making early care and education affordable, accessible, and high quality is a rare win-win policy with the largest return on investment (ROI) of any societal investment. The wins are

(1) creating a greater likelihood of equitable kindergarten readiness;

(2) providing families peace of mind, knowing that their children are well cared for;

(3) giving early educators more training and a livable wage; and

(4) providing Alaska with a better educated, emotionally prepared, and more productive workforce.

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A Strong, Healthy Start

During the first five years of a child’s life, one million new brain connections form every second, laying a foundation for social-emotional development, learning, and skill-building. High-quality childcare programs provide environments, experiences, and relationships that promote learning and development to ensure children have a strong start. With access to quality early education, preventative health screenings and services, and early interventions for developmental and social-emotional delays, all Alaska children can be ready for kindergarten. Each will start school with an opportunity to build on their skills, and excel.

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Lifetime Benefits

With sufficient investment in high-quality early learning programs, our children are more likely to graduate high school, have a good job, earn higher wages, stay out of prison, and stay free of chronic conditions. Every dollar invested in high-quality early learning and health yields as much as $13 in savings. Additional taxes paid by parents who can work full-time, and by their more successful children, can cover the cost of early childhood education.

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Why Now?

The pandemic has made it clear how vital quality childcare is for the health of our economy: it is both a public good and an important part of our infrastructure. We cannot go back to a “normal” that worked for so few of our families. It may take years, but now is the time to start creating a new normal!