Child Care Assistance

Child Care Assistance provides families with payments towards the cost of child care with an approved Child Care Provider. Parents/guardians in the household must be actively participating in 25 hours per week or more in work-related activities, which includes seeking employment, working, going to school, training, rehabilitation, or cultural or subsistence activities. Children age 13 and under can be served, or 18 and under for children with qualifying special needs. This service has tribal enrollment, residency, and income-based co-pay requirements.

Eligibility

Tribal Enrollment

The child or children that payments are being provided for must be enrolled in or eligible to be enrolled in any federally recognized tribe, as documented by a tribal card, enrollment letter, other official documentation from a federally recognized tribe.

Residency List (Service Area)

The family must reside in: Akutan, Atka, False Pass, Nelson Lagoon, Nikolski, Sand Point, St. George, or Unalaska.

Income

There is no income limit for this service. Instead, families making more than 60% of the Alaska State Median Income are responsible for contributing a sliding scale co-pay towards the cost of their child care.

Contact

For an application, visit https://www.apiai.org/etr-current-application/ or contact Cheyanne Smallwood at CheyanneS@apiai.org | 907-222-9749 to get started.

Child Care Provider Services

APIA Child Care Providers may receive a wide variety of services designed for individuals who are, or are interested in becoming, an APIA-approved Child Care Provider. There are residency requirements but no tribal enrollment requirements to be an APIA-approved Child Care Provider. There are health, safety, and background checks required, please inquire at the contact information below for full details. Services for Providers may include:

• Training/technical assistance- assistance to providers so that they receive all necessary trainings to become an APIA-approved Child Care Provider. This includes First Aid and Infant/Child CPR, access to online trainings, and annual opportunities (including travel/lodging/per diem) for in-person attendance at a national conference to keep skills and knowledge up to date. A laptop and payment for internet may also be provided during startup for a Child Care Provider to meet training requirements. APIA staff are also available to provide technical assistance as needed.
• Education- assistance for a Child Care Provider to attain a Child Development Associate (CDA) or other relevant education credentials.
• Quality improvement- payment for items that will improve the quality of child care delivered by a Child Care Provider in terms of health, safety, education, and culture. This may include minor home renovations where child care takes place.
• Licensing- assistance throughout the process in becoming an APIA-approved Child Care Provider. In addition to the items above, this may include obtaining a State of Alaska business license, fingerprinting and background checks, home inspections, meeting health and safety requirements, and emergency evacuation plans. APIA-approved Child Care Providers need to recertify every 2 years.

Eligibility

Residency List (Service Area)

APIA Child Care Providers must reside in: Akutan, Atka, False Pass, Nelson Lagoon, Nikolski, Sand Point, St. George, or Unalaska.

Background Check

An individual applying to become and APIA-approved Child Care Provider must pass a background check along with any individuals age 16 and older who reside in the home where child care will be provided.

Contact Information

Please call or email Jami Creasey at 907-222-9728 | jamis@apiai.org if you or someone you know may be interested in becoming a Child Care Provider in the service area listed above.