Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

Yes. Paid support staff in a licensed child care facility are eligible for the Alaska SEED ROOTS Award if they work directly with children. This may include roles such as bus drivers or cooks who also substitute or provide direct care to children as part of their duties.

Volunteers and contractors who are not paid employees of the child care facility are not eligible to apply.

In a child care center a caregiver may be at least 16 years of age. In a Family Child Care (FCC) or Group Home a caregiver must be at least 18 years old. 

No.

You are eligible to apply if you:
1. Are a current/active member in the Alaska SEED Registry.
2. Are currently employed as a paid employee of a licensed or approved child care facility, school district, Head Start, Infant Learning Program, or Parents as Teachers.

As such, individuals working in a military program licensed by the Department of Defense are not eligible.

Licensed Definition: Licensed Child Care Provider, who is licensed by the State of Alaska, Child Care Program Office (CCPO) or the Municipality of Anchorage, Child Care Licensing (CCL).

Approved Definition:  Approved Provider, who is approved by the State of Alaska, Child Care Program Office (CCPO) Child Care Assistance (CCA) Program as an Approved Relative Provider, or an Approved In-Home Provider.

To confirm a child care facility is licensed by CCPO or CCL, please use the “Find a Child Care Provider” at State Of Alaska.

Applicants must be actively employed as a paid employee of a licensed or approved child care facility, school district, Head Start, Infant Learning Program, or Parents as Teachers at the time of application in order to be eligible for the 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Award. Eligibility is determined at the time of application.

Alaska SEED will communicate with applicants by email. Please check your email regularly, to include the junk folder, to ensure timely receipt of communications from Alaska SEED.

Applicants will receive an automated email confirmation. The email will confirm that the 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Award application has been submitted. This email will also include a copy of the submitted 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Award application. Please check your email inbox, as well as the junk and spam folders. Please keep a copy of this confirmation email for your records.

Alaska SEED will notify applicants who do not qualify for, or are denied, a 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Award. Denials may occur if your application or IRS Form W-9 is not completed by the deadline communicated to you by email.

Alaska SEED will not send notifications to applicants who qualify for the 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Award and who have submitted a completed application and IRS Form W-9. Please refer to your email confirmation on application delivery.

Please apply just one time. Immediately after you submit your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation email. Follow these steps to ensure your application is submitted and received:

• Check your email inbox or junk email for a verification email from Alaska SEED.
• Open the email.
• Save this confirmation for your records.

Alaska SEED will contact the applicant by email to follow up on incomplete applications and/or IRS Form W-9s. Applicants will be provided with a deadline by which the 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Award application and/or IRS Form W-9 must be completed.

Failure to follow up by submitting the requested information and/or documents by the deadline provided will result in closure of the application and no 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Award payment will be sent.

Yes. Alaska SEED needs a completed and signed W-9 to approve your application. If your W-9 is incomplete or is not attached to your application, Alaska SEED will contact you directly.

IRS Form W-9 is a legal document and must be free of any errors. To avoid mistakes, delays, or denial of your application, please ensure your W-9 form is completed neatly and accurately. Use only blue or black ink, or complete the form digitally. Do not scribble, scratch out, write over, erase, use white-out, or spill anything on the form. If an error occurs, please download a new blank W-9 and start again.

If your W-9 is incomplete, you will need to resubmit it. Please follow these steps to ensure your information is accurate:

• Download the W-9 form here and save it to your computer.
• You are considered an individual when using this form. Remember to complete the form with your personal information, using your first and last name and your social security number.
• There is an example of a completed W-9 within the application form.
• Follow the instructions on the W-9 form and complete the following sections:
  • 1: Full legal name (as it appears on your government-issued social security card)
  • 2: Leave the business name section blank
  • 3: Select “Individual/sole proprietor or single-member LLC”
  • 5: Address (must match personal mailing address on 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Application)
  • 6: City, State, Zip
  • Part I: Social Security Number (not an Employer Identification Number)
  • Part II: Signature & Date
• Attach a completed and signed W-9 form to your application.

Please note, this is a legal document and must be free of any errors. To avoid mistakes, delays, or denial of your application, please ensure your W-9 form is completed neatly and accurately. Use only blue or black ink, or complete the form digitally. Do not scribble, scratch out, write over, erase, use white-out, or spill anything on the form. If an error occurs, please download a new blank W-9 and start again.

There is an example of a completed W-9 within the application form. Be sure to complete the following sections of the IRS Form W-9:

1: Full legal name (as it appears on your government-issued social security card)

2: Leave the business name section blank

3: Select “Individual/sole proprietor or single member LLC.”

5: Address (please use personal mailing address)

6: City, State, Zip

Part I: Social Security Number (not an Employer Identification Number)

Part II: Signature & Date

The 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS award is taxed as income. Taxes are not taken out upon distribution. Recipients are responsible for claiming the Alaska SEED ROOTS award when they file their income taxes for 2025 and paying any applicable tax.

If you receive this award, it is considered personal income for 2025. Please check with the IRS, an accountant, or a tax specialist to understand your personal tax implications.

To estimate your taxes or prepay, visit the IRS website.

• Pay as You Go, So You Won’t Owe Guide
• Estimating Taxes
• Tax Withholding Estimator

Payments for the 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Award are expected to be sent by December 31, 2025.

Yes. All applicants who apply to join the Alaska SEED Registry must be 16 years old and working or learning in the early childhood and/or school-age profession to be eligible.

To confirm your membership status in the Alaska SEED Registry, please refer to your most recent Alaska SEED Career Ladder certificate for your expiration date. You can also log in to the ServicePortal to check your status.

Yes. If your Alaska SEED Registry application has been submitted in full and is marked with the status “Pending” (in review by the Alaska SEED team), you are eligible to apply for the Alaska SEED ROOTS Award.

You will receive an email notification that Alaska SEED has received your Alaska SEED Registry application. Alaska SEED Registry applications are being processed as usual, within 30 business days in the order they are received.

Yes, but you must apply for both the Alaska SEED Registry and 2025 ROOTS Award at the same time. Join the Alaska SEED Registry here.

A $32 stop payment fee will be deducted when a replacement check must be issued for lost or misplaced checks or checks which are undeliverable when an incorrect mailing address is supplied.

The 2025 Alaska SEED ROOTS Award is funded by the State of Alaska Preschool Development Grant B-5.