Federal Block Grant Award Summary

The Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government received a $431,743 Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Child Care, effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. Under CFDA 93.575, this discretionary block grant supports the provision of affordable, high-quality child care services for low-income families in the Native Village of Barrow service area located in Utqiagvik, Alaska. The funding enables the tribal government to administer child care subsidies, enhance early childhood education infrastructure, and improve child care quality outcomes for both subsidized and unsubsidized children within the Inupiat community.

As a tribal lead agency, the Native Village of Barrow is responsible for developing and implementing a three-year Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) plan that outlines the intended use of block grant funds in compliance with the CCDBG Act. The organization must maintain compliance with federal requirements including establishing appropriate payment rates, implementing a sliding fee scale, conducting public hearings, and coordinating services with other federal, state, and local child care and early childhood development programs. These block grant funds represent a critical resource for addressing the unique child care needs of the North Slope region's low-income families while building sustainable early childhood education capacity.