Thank you to everyone who joined us on October 28 at the Marriott Anchorage Downtown for thread’s 6th Summit on the Economic Impact of Early Care & Learning: Building Solutions & Creating Opportunity. With more than 200 Alaskans gathered in person, alongside virtual attendees from across the state, the energy, insight, and collective commitment to building a stronger child care system were extraordinary.
This year’s Summit brought together local and national leaders, policymakers, educators, business partners, and community advocates around a shared purpose: to build a child care system that strengthens families, supports Alaska’s workforce, and fuels our state’s economy.
Setting the Stage: How Are the Children? How Are the Educators?
We opened the day with a powerful keynote from Dr. Walter Gilliam, Executive Director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute. Dr. Gilliam shared the latest data on the well-being of children and early educators across the country, underscoring the urgent need for stable systems, strong partnerships, and sustained investment. His insights grounded the day in what matters most: the health and future of our youngest learners.
Understanding the Challenge: Child Care Works for Families & Alaska’s Future
thread CEO Stephanie Berglund highlighted the continued challenges families and educators face, from affordability to availability, and shared how thread is working to lead change across the state. Through new data and storytelling, participants gained a clear picture of the real impact child care has on families, businesses, and Alaska’s economy.
State Leadership in Action
Alaska leaders are taking meaningful steps to improve access to child care. In a dynamic conversation moderated by Stephanie Berglund, panelists Kati Capozzi of the Alaska Chamber of Commerce, Representative Julie Coulombe, Jon Papendieck from Agnew::Beck, and Leah Van Kirk with the State of Alaska Department of Health shared updates on legislative progress, the Governor’s Child Care Task Force recommendations, and policy priorities that can build lasting opportunity for families and businesses. There is so much great progress to celebrate over the last two years!
Child Care Beyond Alaska
We were joined by Anne Hedgepeth, Senior Vice President at Child Care Aware of America, who provided a national perspective on innovative child care policies, funding ideas, and community-driven solutions emerging across the U.S. Her session inspired attendees to consider what bold ideas could be adapted for Alaska.
Child Care as Economic Infrastructure
Moderated by Dr. Kevin Berry, this session featured recent work by economists and policy experts bringing powerful evidence to one message: Child care is foundational economic infrastructure. Panelists from across the country, including Dr. Theresa Hawley and Anne Hedgepeth, discussed barriers facing the workforce and the strategies needed to build a more resilient child care system. It is clear- Child care is economic infrastructure!
Solutions That Shine: Community & Sector Approaches
Across two dynamic panels, Alaska & national leaders shared bright spots and innovative projects already making an impact including:
- Early Childhood Workforce initiatives
- Innovative Community partnerships
- Higher education collaborations
- Local government strategies
- Business-led solutions
- Funding models that work
Speakers from Sitka, Girdwood, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Nome, Southeast Alaska, Oregon, Tennessee, and more showcased how communities are stepping up to create real solutions. Their stories demonstrated one thing clearly: solutions already exist, and they are growing!
A Call to Action: Be the Change for Alaska’s Children
Closing the day, emcee Jonathan King encouraged attendees to keep the momentum going by staying involved, building partnerships, and advocating for meaningful investment in early childhood education. As Jonathan reminded us:
Change happens when we build it together.
Together, We’re Building Opportunity
Thank you for being part of this year’s Summit. Your leadership, passion, and collaboration help create a stronger future for Alaska’s children, families, workforce, and economy. We look forward to building solutions with you in the year ahead.
Explore Summit Resources
All presentation slides and available video content can be found at: threadalaska.org/summit
We encourage you to revisit the insights, share them with your networks, and continue the conversations sparked throughout the day.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
This Summit was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors:
State of Alaska Department of Health
Rasmuson Foundation
Alaska Community Foundation
Bright Road Wealth Management
ConocoPhillips Alaska
Alaska Children’s Trust
Alaska Public Media
Anchorage Sand & Gravel
Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot
Denali Daniels & Associates
First National Bank Alaska
Halcyon Consulting
Mat-Su Health Foundation
Agnew::Beck
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
All Alaska Pediatric Partnership
Business Insurance Associates
Credit Union 1
Munson, Cacciola & Severin, LLP
Perkins Coie
Southcentral Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children (SCAAEYC)
United Way of Anchorage
Thank you for your dedication to strengthening Alaska’s child care system.