In an effort to expand the number of infants and children who are placed in professional day-care centers, the State of Alaska has announced that it will spend an additional $5.9 million to publicly underwrite child-care providers around the state.
In following recommendations by the Governor’s Task Force on Child Care, the state is hoping the investment will help address Alaska’s workforce shortage by freeing parents from the responsibility of caring for their children during the workday.
“Alaska’s childcare providers are essential partners in supporting Alaska’s workforce and keeping families and communities strong,” claimed Department of Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg. “This new funding incentivizes care for infants and toddlers and helps providers deliver the high-quality services families rely on every day. We are committed to continuing the implementation of the recommendations from the task force and build a child care system that works for every region of Alaska.”
The added funding will increase the amount of money the state gives day-care centers for each child they enroll, with a special emphasis on the very youngest.
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“To expand access to infant and toddler care, the state is launching a new pilot program that provides additional monthly funding to providers who care for Alaska’s youngest children,” a Feb. 6 announcement from the state notes, adding that “participating providers will receive supplemental payments on top of their regular grant amount, helping offset the higher cost of caring for infants and toddlers.”
The grants permit child-care centers to spend the money on operational costs, staff wages and maintaining “healthy learning environments for children.”
Families who have no interest in professional daycare workers overseeing the welfare of their children will see zero benefits from the expanded childcare funding, and yet they share in the public cost of incentivizing parents to deposit their children into the hands of paid caretakers.
While many governments have adopted similar policy positions, a number of studies indicate that children, especially the very young, experience difficulties associated with extended daycare. These challenges include attachment disorders, aggression, emotional distress, obesity and suppressed immune systems.
