Valdez City Council Work Session: Child Care Update - October 6, 2026

The Valdez City Council convened a work session on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM in Council Chambers to receive updates on child care needs and workforce development. No minutes were transcribed for the work session; audio is available upon request. City Manager Nate opened with an overview, and representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, UAA/Prince William Sound College, Chugachmiut Head Start, and Sugar Bear Daycare provided testimony. No formal council action was taken, but council members discussed operator selection for the future child care center and directed staff to bring back options for supporting providers.

Coast Guard Child Care Needs

• Chief Bosa May Haley Lombardi, Officer in Charge at Station Valdez, said her crew includes 30 active-duty members plus five reservists, and all but three live locally. The main concern is non-school-age daycare, especially hours and summer care.
• Chief Lombardi said Head Start's 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. hours do not fit duty/work schedules; there is no summer child care; spouses often cannot work full time; and one-car households create logistical barriers.
• She described an ideal schedule of 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. workable for most.
• Senior Chief Washington called child care a readiness and quality-of-life issue and said the Coast Guard sometimes decides whether to send a family member or a single individual to Valdez based on child care availability.
• Coast Guard housing has 30 units; over 60% have multiple dependents, with approximately 40–50 children including school-age children who need summer care.
• Chief Lombardi said Sugar Bear is available 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. weekdays, but is limited to roughly 10 children; an infant reduces capacity because an infant counts as two slots.
• Child care costs cited were about $1,200/month at Sugar Bear and roughly $1,500/month for one out-of-home arrangement. Military child care subsidies through MCCYN are available only to licensed, insured and MCCYN-registered providers; Sugar Bear is not yet licensed, so Coast Guard families cannot receive subsidies.

UAA Early Childhood Education Opportunities

• Dale, representing UAA's School of Education, described accredited early childhood education pathways: an OEC certificate for working in preschool/daycare, an associate degree for teaching in preschool/daycare, and a bachelor's degree for full teacher certification up to third grade.
• UAA has offered to place an additional faculty member in Valdez, subject to HR hiring and a budget request. The faculty member would need a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and would serve as a mentor for apprenticeships.
• All classes are online; students can enroll now and start in January. The OEC certificate is 9 credits at $251 per credit plus fees—roughly $3,000—and can be completed in one semester.
• Existing dual-credit opportunities could let Valdez high school students earn the endorsement and participate in apprenticeships, the city manager noted.

Chugachmiut Head Start Update

• Kristen Ramstadt, Head Start director and tribal home visiting director for Chugachmiut, said Head Start is "not just child care"; it offers comprehensive services including health, dental, mental health, and family support, at no cost to families.
• Chugachmiut is funded to serve 20 preschool children and 16 children ages zero to three once fully staffed and in a suitable space. Full-day operation would require 12–13 staff across three classrooms.
• Current hours are 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. because of workforce shortages; with full staffing, Head Start could offer 8.5–9 hours per day. Wrap-around paid care outside Head Start hours is possible, Kristen said, if community need and board approval support it.
• At full capacity, the program could accept 6–8 practicum students.
• The Royal Center remains closed because of water intrusion and mold; remediation is underway. Kristen said the plan is to seal off the affected "mountain room," retest, and reopen toddler services first on the kitchen/preschool side.
• She reported two Head Start staff are being hired, three Early Head Start staff are ready, one substitute is available, and more interviews are scheduled.
• Chugachmiut's starting wage is $25.16/hour with paid insurance, dental, and retirement. Head Start can pay for staff college coursework, and teacher waivers allow time for staff to earn credentials.
• The program does not currently have the MCCYN military child care certification but would pursue it once in a permanent, licensed facility.

Council Discussion and Options

• City Manager Nate said the new child care center at the old district office is ready to begin construction once a contract is approved, with a target completion around May 2027. An operator will be needed; the city is unlikely to operate it as a city-run facility.
• Council members discussed whether hours of operation or number of seats should be the priority. Some council members said the immediate priority is more seats/quantity, because families cannot find any open slot even if hours are limited. Others emphasized sustainability, a "healthy ecosystem" of providers, and wraparound care.
• The city manager offered to explore grant programs for tuition subsidies, child care subsidies, or licensing/start-up support for in-home and other providers. Council member Olivia supported grant funding and redundancy in the child care system; another council member was not interested in a new grant program at this time and preferred to focus on completing the new building.
• City operations such as parks and recreation programs, rec center hours, library hours, and summer camps could potentially be adjusted to help supplement school-age care, the city manager said.
• One council member noted that the city had provided about $700,000 to daycares over a three-year period in the past.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kate Dugan, an Alyeska Pipeline employee and former child care task force member, said she was not speaking for Alyeska. She said fixing child care takes time, the "hours vs spots" tradeoff needs a triage answer, and the community should support a healthy ecosystem of providers rather than relying on one center.
• Sarah Rhodes, a hospital employee, Coast Guard spouse, and new SFO ombudsman, asked whether research exists on spouses unable to work because their children are below Head Start age and whether staff children can receive priority. Kristen said federal rules allow staff-child priority, though Chugachmiut has not yet implemented it.
• A parent praised Head Start and said her family was waiting for it to reopen.
• Christy Silkett, co-owner of Sugar Bear Daycare, expressed strong frustration. She said Sugar Bear has been open for two years as of October 1, 2026. She received a $30,000 reimbursable grant from the city, spent it on supplies before learning the rest of the funds could be used for remodeling, and has now spent about $50,000 of her own money on a remodel. The daycare cannot get licensed because the downstairs lacks an emergency exit door, and work has been delayed by contractors for over a year.
• Silkett criticized Head Start's 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. hours as not matching local jobs, said Head Start took four of Sugar Bear's children when it opened and then closed two months later, and questioned where the $3 million child care grant from Senator Lisa Murkowski went. She said the city did not allow other providers to bid on it, and argued that giving the new building to Head Start for school hours would not meet full-time daycare needs. She said the city's efforts feel like "a big show" and called for more direct support.
• Council member Olivia thanked Silkett for her candor and said the city needs to work with all providers to build redundancy. City Manager Nate acknowledged that federal funding requirements are onerous, reiterated that the city is not a daycare operator, and said he would reach out to Silkett to see what the city can do.

Key Outcomes

• No votes or formal motions were taken; this was a work session.
• Council directed the city manager to begin planning for operator selection for the new child care center after the first of the year, with attention to licensing and operating hours.
• City Manager Nate agreed to reach out to Sugar Bear and other child care operators, and to bring back information on possible grant, subsidy, or licensing assistance programs for future council discussion.
• An information/open house session on early childhood education career pathways may be coordinated among the college, Head Start, and the city.
• The city will continue working with Chugachmiut Head Start, local providers, the Coast Guard, and the school district as the new center is built.