Municipality of Anchorage, AK

07/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/17/2024 18:12

New Anchorage Child Care and Early Education Fund Seeks Board Members

At last night's Regular Assembly Meeting, the Anchorage Assembly unanimously approved AO 2024-61(S-1), As Amended, to establish a board to advise the Mayor and the Assembly on the use of the Anchorage Child Care and Early Education (ACCEE) Fund. Today, the Office of Mayor LaFrance opened board applications. The Municipality of Anchorage invites community members to apply now: onboard.muni.org/board/6013

"Anchorage families are facing a crisis when it comes to finding quality, affordable childcare and early education options," said Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. "Thanks to the voters, we are on a path to support that need with this funding. I am excited to announce the establishment of this board and to work together to invest these funds in our children and our future."

Approved by Anchorage voters in 2023, the ACCEE Fund collects annual marijuana sales tax revenue in a fund dedicated to child care and early childhood education. Funds were dedicated as of January 2024 and will begin being distributed in 2025. The Board will envision and propose an annual budget, estimated at approximately $5 million per year, that directs funding to supporting and advancing child care and early education in the Municipality.

"We look forward to welcoming new board members into the community-driven partnerships that are shaping the direction of the ACCEE Fund," said Assembly Member Kameron Perez-Verdia, who co-sponsored the ballot proposition when it was proposed in 2022. "The new Board will inherit the substantial work of the ACCEE Fund Implementation Team, a network of community partners, parents and child care workers who have worked tirelessly to lay a foundation for this board to be successful. This project embodies the adage: it takes a village."

Assembly Members Anna Brawley and Kameron Perez-Verdia joined the Alaska Children's Trust and community members to form an Implementati​on Team, charged with establishing a framework for ensuring funds are used strategically and effectively. Listed in alphabetical order, the following individuals dedicated significant time to the work of the Implementation Team:

  • Katrina Ahlfield, Executive Director, Kid's Corps, Inc.
  • Anna Brawley, Anchorage Assembly Member
  • Branwen Collier, Director & Owner, Early Learning for Everyone
  • Eric Croft, former Representative in the State of Alaska House of Representatives, former Anchorage Assembly and Anchorage School Board member
  • Jade Hayden, Founder, Hmoob Cultural Center of Alaska
  • Carl Jacobs, Vice President, Anchorage School Board
  • Nora Matell, Parent
  • Kathleen McArdle, President & CEO, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce
  • Melinda Myers, Chief Operating Officer, thread
  • Kameron Perez-Verdia, Anchorage Assembly Member
  • Ethan Pettigrew, Executive Director, Cook Inlet Native Head Start
  • Kimberly Rash, Acting Director, Anchorage Health Department
  • Dawn Skeete, Child Care Licensing Program Supervisor, Anchorage Health Department
  • Jessica Simonsen, Parent
  • Trevor Storrs, President & CEO, Alaska Children's Trust
  • Heather Weafer, JBER representative, U.S. Air Force, Flight Chief, Child and Youth Programs

"Community involvement is a hallmark of the ACCEE Fund," said Assembly Member Anna Brawley, co-chair of the Assembly Budget & Finance Committee. "The voters spoke loud and clear: our kids are worth the investment. With gratitude for the community support driving this project, we look forward to welcoming the board that will usher the first investments of our newly-dedicated funding source."

Submit an Application
The ACCEE Fund Board will consist of nine members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Assembly for three-year terms. The Board should reflect the broad range of those involved in and affected by early education and child care services and the diversity of Anchorage. Board members must be US citizens residing and registered to vote within the Municipality of Anchorage.

If you are interested in joining the ACCEE Fund Board, please submit your application at onboard.muni.org/board/6013 as soon as possible.
For more information about the ACCEE Fund, the Implementation Team, or the Board please visit the ACCEE Fund website at www.careforkidsanchorage.com/board.

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Contact:

Amanda Moser | Office of the Mayor
[email protected]

Anna Brawley | District 3, West Anchorage
[email protected]

Kameron Perez-Verdia | District 3, West Anchorage
[email protected]