Worksession re ACCEE Fund Board Update and Budget Overview

The Municipality of Anchorage held a work session on October 3, 2026, on the Anchorage Child Care and Early Education (ACEE) Fund board update and FY27 budget. The board reported that the fund distributed nearly $10 million in 2025, while approximately $5.2 million is available for the FY27 planning year. Members reviewed operational grants, child-care subsidies for early educators, capital-improvement grants, pilot projects, and support for ASD Pre-K and Best Beginnings. The board described a mayoral budget proposal that zeroed out ASD and Best Beginnings and constrained capital and pilot funding, and discussed an alternative budget scenario, including retaining $2.4 million for flexible operational grants, reducing worker subsidies to about $1.4 million, and reducing ASD Pre-K support to 75% (about $750,000). The figures and recommendations were advisory; no budget vote or funding award was made at this work session.

A provider described using an ACE capital-improvement grant to replace classroom flooring and urged the Assembly to preserve all three funding streams; she also cited separate, unexpected facility repairs exceeding $21,000. Board and Assembly members discussed whether alcohol-tax revenue could support some programs, the need for better child-care supply and demand data, and possible separate evaluation of capital applications from home providers and centers. The board recommended using open RFPs for initiatives such as early literacy rather than selecting a single organization directly. Members also discussed using the Children’s Trust’s online grant system temporarily instead of Bid Express, which the board said was difficult for grant applications. No motions or procurement awards were recorded.