OUR WORK
Advocacy
The voices of Alaska’s children and youth need to be uplifted by passionate and committed Alaskans. Join our listserv here to learn more about advocating for Alaska’s children.
ADVOCACY
Children and youth are our state’s greatest resource, and the decisions our leaders make about them impact our collective future. At Alaska Children’s Trust, we recognize that the way policies and systems are designed and implemented can either prevent or perpetuate the factors that can lead to child abuse and neglect. Therefore, one of ACT’s key roles is to be an advocate for kids.
As an advocate, we work towards policies and services that strengthen families and communities, promote healthy child and youth development, and prevent child abuse and neglect before it happens.
We know that the prevention of child abuse and neglect cannot be achieved by any singular person or organization. As adults, it is all our responsibility to lend our voice to issues that help ensure children and youth live in safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments. Be a voice for Alaska’s kids by learning more about what we stand for and signing up to join our volunteer team of advocates!
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ACT’s Policy Framework
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Family Economic Well-Being
Improving family economic well-being by strengthening support systems and advancing policies that create stability for Alaska’s working families.
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Child and Family Health
Promoting child and family health by ensuring access to quality care, addressing system barriers, and supporting physical and mental well-being from birth through childhood.
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Strengthening Communities and Families
Creating safe, supportive environments that empower communities to build on their strengths and address the needs of children and families.
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Educational Foundations for Success
Building strong educational foundations by supporting quality instruction, positive learning environments, and enriching programs to ensure lifelong success for Alaska’s children.
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Accountable and Sustainable Systems
Building efficient, data-driven systems with effective coordination, family involvement, and sustainable funding to improve outcomes for children and youth.
2025 Agenda
ACT’s legislative advocacy for prevention of child abuse and neglect involves five key policy areas: family economic wellbeing, child and family health, strengthening communities and families, educational foundations for success, and accountable and sustainable systems.
By working on strategic policy and funding efforts in each area, we create a strong, supportive environment where Alaska’s children, youth, and families can thrive.
Family Economic Wellbeing
Pay Day Loan Reform: Pay day loans in Alaska can accumulate interest rates of over 400% creating additional stress on Alaskan families.
SOLUTION: Limiting interest rates to 36%, consistent with other small dollar loans, will safeguard family economic well-being.
Follow Senate Bill 39 (SB 39) HERE: "An Act relating to loans in an amount of $25,000 or less; relating to the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry; relating to deferred deposit advances; and providing for an effective date."
Paid Family and Medical Leave: Children and families in Alaska benefit when parents are provided paid time off for common life events, including the birth or adoption of a child.
SOLUTION: Implementing a comprehensive, statewide paid family and medical leave program will support Alaska’s working families.
Child and Family Health
Medicaid for Early Childhood: Brain development is most rapid in the earliest years of life, yet many young children miss out on important screening opportunities.
SOLUTION: Improving access to critical Medicaid services for children 0-6 through continuous eligibility and Medicaid reimbursement for more early childhood services will keep children healthy during this critical developmental period.
Youth Behavioral Health Treatment Barriers: Alaska continues to struggle with one of the highest teen suicide rates in the country.
SOLUTION: Increasing access to behavioral health treatment by improving behavioral health treatment parity and allowing youth 16 and over to self-consent to a limited number of treatment sessions will support more immediate care for youth with behavioral health needs.
Strengthening Communities and Families
Artificial Intelligence and Child Sexual Abuse Material: Increased access to generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology has created new challenges in the battle against child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
SOLUTION: Updating Alaska’s statutory definition to criminalize AI and computer-generated CSAM will further protect Alaska’s children from exploitation.
Educational Foundations for Success
Support for the Child Care Workforce: The consistent decline of Alaska’s child care workforce is one of the key factors in the continuing child care crisis facing Alaska’s working families.
SOLUTION: Improving the child care grant program and providing child care assistance for child care providers will support Alaska’s child care businesses and their workforce.
Accountable and Sustainable Systems
Pathway for Prevention Services: A key strategy in prevention of child abuse and neglect is a system design that identifies and supports the needs of families before their involvement with child welfare.
SOLUTION: Working with parents and community providers to design an improved pathway to prevention services and supports will help promote a more responsive and effective system.
How to Advocate for Children, Youth, and Families
During the 1st regular session of
the 34th Alaska Legislature
It's critically important for legislators to hear from Alaskans about bills impacting children, youth, and families! ACT wants to empower you with the tools you need to submit public testimony and offer your lived experience and expertise to decision-makers.
Throughout the legislative session, there are multiple ways to testify on a bill. If you are new to testifying, visit or call your local Legislative Information Office (find your LIO here) so they can help you provide the best testimony possible and walk you through procedures and getting connected via phone. Another way to share your thoughts is through written testimony. To submit written testimony, identify the committee that the bill is in and then email that committee to submit. You can find the different committee email addresses here.
Learn who your state legislators are
Find Your House and Senate Representatives
2025 Alaska State House & Senate Districts
This map shows the state representatives and state senators in each district in Alaska. To find your representatives, search your address or zoom in on your neighborhood, check either House OR Senate, and look at the description. This will tell you your district and candidates. You can switch between House and Senate Districts by checking and unchecking the "House Districts" and "Senate Districts" boxes.
Click the link in each district to access official candidate information.
R: Republican
D: Democrat
Not Affiliated: Legislator has chosen to not be affiliated with a major political party.