Early Childhood Resources

This list is intended to provide a sampling of primary resources available as of October 2020 within the large network of programs and services supporting young children and their families in Alaska. If you have suggestions for other early childhood resources that should be added to this list, contact Emily Ferry eferry@aasb.org or Lori Grassgreen lgrassgreen@aasb.org

For more about why early childhood education matters, and what it looks like in Alaska, visit our Early Childhood page. 

Key Resources for School Boards and Administrators, Early Childhood Professionals, and Community Members

• “A Needs Assessment of Alaska’s Mixed Delivery System of Early Childhood Care and Education,” Dec. 2019. A statewide report, appendices and summary brochure used to create the strategic plan below.
• “Appendices – A Needs Assessment of Alaska’s Mixed-Delivery System of Early Childhood Care and Education,” Dec. 2019.
• Needs Assessment Summary Brochure Readable
• Needs Assessment Summary Brochure Printable 8.5×14
• “Early Childhood Alaska: A Strategic Direction for 2020-2025,” June 2020. Based on the needs assessment above, a five-year plan, planning process report/appendices and summary brochure. Also the Early Childhood Alaska website www.earlychildhoodalaska.com provides information, resources and reports from the statewide early childhood strategic planning process.
• Strategic Planning Process Report/Appendices – “Early Childhood Alaska: A Strategic Direction for 2020-2025” June 2020.
• Strategic Plan Summary Brochure Readable
• Strategic Plan Summary Brochure Printable 8.5 x 14
• “Alaska Early Childhood Environmental Scan and Baseline Report on the Condition of Young Children,” June, 2020. A report prepared by the All Alaska Pediatric Partnership (A2P2).
• “Alaska Early Care and Learning Data Dashboard” housed and maintained at thread Alaska.
• “Early Care and Learning in Alaska” updated Oct. 2019, thread Alaska.
• “Alaska Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Plan”
• “Alaska’s Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems” (one-page graphic)
• “Child Care and Development Fund Plan for Alaska FFY 2019- 2021”, (8 sections) Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services Child Care Program Office
• Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council website
• “Alaska’s Early Childhood System Birth through Age 8” (graphic, 2 pages)
• “Strengthening the System: Alaska’s Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan 2020-2024” Alaska Department of Health and Social Services in partnership with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.

Examples of School Districts’ Early Childhood Policies

Click on the district to get to their website policy page. Then use the search bar and type in “early childhood”, “preschool”, and “kindergarten” (be sure to include quotation marks) and search for each topic to find various policies that relate to early childhood education.

• North Slope Borough School District
• Skagway City School District
• Annette Island School District
• Chugach School District
• Lower Kuskokwim School District
• Southwest Region School District

AASB Early Childhood Resolutions, Reports and Articles

• AASB Early Childhood Beliefs and Resolutions
• “AASB and Statewide Partners Work to Improve Alaska’s Early Childhood Care and Education System.” Commentary, Dec. 2019
• “Alaskans Around the State Help Build the New Early Childhood Strategic Plan.” Commentary, Feb. 2020
• “New Strategic Plan for Alaska’s Early Childhood System Nears Completion.” Commentary, May 29, 2020
• “Alaska’s Early Childhood Needs Assessment and Environmental Scan Now Available.” Commentary, August, 2020
• “Guidance to Improve Alaska’s Early Childhood System Offered in New Statewide Strategic Plan.” Commentary, September, 2020
• “Early Childhood Conversation,” AASB Spring Academy, April 6, 2019
• “Early Childhood Strategic Plan Luncheon,” AASB Annual Conference, Nov. 8, 2019.
• “Update on the New Statewide Plan for Early Childhood Care and Education.” Snapshot Session Notes, AASB Annual Conference, Nov. 8, 2019
• “Preschool Development Grant 2019-2020,” reports and photos describing the progress of AASB’s coordination of the state’s Preschool Development Grant to complete Alaska’s early childhood needs assessment and strategic plan.

For Families and Caregivers

• “State of Alaska Early Learning Guidelines” revised Jan. 2020.
• Association for the Education of Young Children Alaska websites: Anchorage Southeast Fairbanks
• Best Beginnings website. A public-private partnership that mobilizes people and resources to ensure all Alaska children begin school ready to succeed.
• Imagination Library List of Communities and Map
• “Helping Little Kids Succeed – Alaskan Style.” AASB worked with communities across Alaska to create this booklet to incorporate local and traditional wisdom on how community members can support young children.
• Ready to Read Alaska, Alaska State Library. Free reading kits, 15 minute “Caregiver Chats” trainings and other videos on the Ready to Read Alaska YouTube channel for families and caregivers of infants and toddlers to promote early literacy development.
• “Ages and Stages Developmental Screenings,” for parents (infographic, 2 pages)
• ZERO TO THREE website. A global non-profit organization that works to ensure that babies and toddlers benefit from the early connections that are critical to their well-being and development.

Early Childhood Education

• “Meeting Alaska’s Education Challenge Together,” Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Strategic Plan, 2017
• “Alaska Head Start Collaboration Grant: Application and Budget Narrative 2020” 
• Alaska Head Start Association website
• Head Start Locator for Alaska (interactive map)
• Learn & Grow for My Program – The Five Levels of Quality
• “Learn & Grow Strategic Plan”
• “Alaska SEED’s Three-Year Professional Development Plan (2018-2021)”
• “Transforming Schools: A Framework for Trauma-Engaged Practice in Alaska,”, 2019
• “Transforming Schools Toolkit” (click on circles to navigate to topics of interest)

Health/Mental Health

• Help Me Grow Alaska website
•  “Child and Family Outcomes Survey” Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services, Early Intervention/Infant Learning Program. Annual report to evaluate infant and toddler programs operated under Part C of IDEA
• Early Intervention/Infant Learning Program Providers Map (interactive) and ILP Providers Contacts
• “Healthy Alaskans 2030 State Health Assessment,” Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, August 2019
• “Statewide Needs Assessment Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program” (MIECHV), Sept. 2010. This assessment is being updated in late 2020
• Home Visiting Resource Network Map
• “Alaska Title V Maternal Child Health Services Block Grant: 2020-2024 State Action Plan”
• Metabolic screening and early detection. Screening in the first few days of life.

Other Related Alaska Plans

• “Investing in Prevention: Working Together in Early Childhood for Healthy Alaskan Children, Families and Communities.” Alaska Interagency Prevention Working Group, 2015. 
• “Pathways to Prevention: A Statewide Plan,” Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, March 2019
• “2020-2024 Child and Family Services Plan”, Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services, Office of Children’s Services
• “Alaska Early Childhood Development Needs and Readiness Assessment”, Indigneous Project LAUNCH, Southcentral Foundation, and “Southcentral Foundation Indigenous Project LAUNCH Strategic Plan,” Dec. 2019, revised June 2020.

Other Alaska Reports and Resources

• “Alaska Wage Compensation Study for Early Childhood and School-Age Educators: Survey Report.” Johns Hopkins University Ideals Institute for thread/SEED 2019.
• “Early Childhood Workforce Index 2018 – Alaska.” Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, UC Berkeley.
• “Region X Home Visiting Workforce Study,” 2019. Region X Innovation Grant for AK ID OR and WA. University of Denver.
• Alaska SEED EI-ILP Career Ladder (thread)
• Alaska SEED Career Ladder EC-SA (thread)
• “Teacher Stress, Resources, and Exclusionary Practices in Early Child Care Programs in Alaska,” (white paper to be incorporated in upcoming reports), Aug. 2019, Raviant LLC for thread and Learn and Grow.
• “The Economic Burden of Child Maltreatment Alaska 2016 Case Study,” June 2019, AK Dept of Health and Social Services
• Alaska Longitudinal Child Abuse and Neglect Linkage Project (ALCAN Link). For Cross Agency Data Tracking.
• 2020 Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and data base.