Alaska is starting to get lighter and lighter, and it's not just the sun setting later everyday that is causing the change. Hope that a brighter future and a return to a level of normalcy is coming soon is ever-present in conversation as Alaska makes strides to vaccinate members of our community. Nevertheless, we could all still use a good boost in morale! Join us in brightening someone's day by celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day today.

Growing up, Kayla Gilbert was introduced to subsistence living from infancy in rural Alaska, as a child of the Copper River Valley. Fast forward 30 years and she is raising her family of 8 in the same way in Tazlina, Alaska.

At Alaska Children’s Trust, we are rooted in the unequivocal belief that every child deserves to grow up in a healthy and safe environment. Our mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect for all children, and our work is intrinsically tied to achieving racial equity for the children of Alaska. Racism has a powerful and lasting effect on the lives of children, their families, and their communities. We are here to fight for equality, dismantle systems of oppression, and demand action, but we are also here to listen and create a safe and courageous space.

These days, more and more families are having to seek alternative methods for childcare. With COVID-19 limiting childcare and afterschool programs, and amid concerns of children being exposed to the virus, more families are relying on individuals within their safety bubble to babysit. If you are considering hiring a babysitter, here are some basic items to consider to ensure the safety of your children

When the news comes that a child has a special need or disability, a parent can experience many overwhelming emotions. Two of the biggest are isolation and confusion. The Mentor, Advocate, Partner (MAP) Program at Stone Soup Group is an Alaska parent mentoring program that trains experienced, “seasoned” parents of children with special needs and matches them with parents who are new to the road of disabilities or are experiencing a bump in the road

In response to a growing need for early childhood mental health services in Alaska, a multi-agency partnership, including the Alaska Children’s Trust and Denali Family Services, is working to disseminate Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) training across Alaska with the goal of training clinicians from around the state in this nationally recognized, evidence-based practice.

Our mission at Alaska Children’s Trust is the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Achieving this requires all of us – individuals and organizations – to work together, each playing an important role in supporting the safety and well-being of Alaska’s children and families. We are honored to work with partners such as the Alaska Children’s Alliance to make progress toward this shared vision, and we are pleased to share this guest blog post, which provides more information about the Alliance and its important work.

Alaska Children’s Trust’s mission is the prevention of child abuse and neglect. To achieve this mission, we must ensure all Alaskan children grow up in a family and community that provides them with all the tools and resources necessary to make their dreams come true. Creating a community that is focused on ending systemic racism is part of this important work, and we are pleased to share this guest blog post from the Alaska Black Caucus on this topic.

Our world has been utterly transformed by COVID-19 but we are still here, trying to find a new normal and live our lives as best we can in the face of the pandemic. We’ve put a lot of things on hold for the past few months, but it’s important to get back to some essential activities that keep us healthy and safe. Keeping up with your child’s pediatrician is one of those.

Reflecting on National Parent’s Day

Among all the preparations that go into getting ready to welcome a new baby, Pili and his wife, both of whom were working full-time jobs, had to figure out how they would balance caring for their newborn while providing for their family.

In recognition of Mother's Day, we spoke with several different moms, who provided their diverse perspectives on handling the changes in work and family life brought on by COVID-19 – and shared their advice and encouragement for other families.

In this time of COVID-19, with school closures and families isolating from others, building awareness of child abuse and neglect is more important than ever.

At the core of quality child care is a trusting, respectful relationship between the early childhood educator, child and family. Over the past decade, thread has expanded the Strengthening Families and Pyramid Model trainings to help early educators across the state build stronger family and child relationships.

As I thought about writing this post, I realized: I have spent the majority of my adult life advocating for children to be children – growing up in safe, nurturing environments, enjoying happy, healthy childhoods, free from the trauma of child abuse and neglect.

There are currently more than 2,800 children in foster care throughout Alaska. A record number only expected to increase. Being in foster care is overwhelming, exhausting, and comes with a lot of challenges. Even with all of the chaos, it still offers a sense of security and relief to those who have experienced abuse and neglect.

Steve Gordon found himself in the midst of the conversation about childhood trauma and resilience “quite by accident.” One year ago, the renowned artist and University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) art instructor tasked his students with a mural-painting project that explored issues of contemporary interest. The topic: the headline-topping opioid epidemic.

“Alaska Native culture keeps Alaska Native children safe.”

This is the vision statement for a five-year strategic plan created to address the disparities that Alaska Native children experience in the child welfare system. Today over 3,000 children are in the Alaska foster care system. More than half of these children are Alaska Native. This disparity is unacceptable.