CBJ Stock Image

Budget addresses some child care needs as staff continues to explore solutions

June 4, 2019 – News

Part of the budget adopted by the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Monday night is funding to address some current child care needs as well as to explore potential longer-term solutions.

The Assembly Child Care Committee, which formed November 2018, put out its final report in mid-April with a list of recommendations. At its May 20 Committee of the Whole meeting, the Assembly directed staff to analyze the issue further in order to determine a path forward that meets child care and community needs.

The fiscal year 2020 budget includes:

  • An additional $90,000 for the Southeast Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC) HEARTS Initiative. That brings total CBJ funding for the program for FY20 to $180,000. CBJ has been funding HEARTS for the past several years to demonstrated success. The program supplements wages for child care workers who are getting additional training/education with the goal of increasing quality of child care and reducing the level of turnover.
  • $150,000 to the Juneau Economic Development Council’s startup loan program for new or existing child care facilities. The goal is to increase the number of available licensed childcare spaces.
  • $60,000 to the City Manager’s Office to explore the budgetary, operational, and policy impacts of CBJ’s participation in child care, and to bring options back to the Assembly.

Staff anticipates working on the issue for the next few months before reaching out to the public for input in mid/late fall.

For more information, contact the Manager’s Office at 586-5240. Read the Child Care Committee’s final report here.