Interior residents called to recognize family-friendly local businesses

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - Interior Alaska is home to a wide variety of local businesses, and the Fairbanks North Star Borough is asking for the public’s help in recognizing those that are family-friendly.

The borough’s Early Childhood Development Commission is looking to highlight businesses that make it easier for their employees to balance work and family with its annual Family Friendly Workplace Awards.

Ways a business can be considered “family-friendly” include flexible scheduling, allowing a younger child to be brought into the workplace, and providing help with daycare needs, among others.

This is the event’s 18th year and follows a three-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Awards are given in 9 categories based on the type of company and its number of employees. Non-profit and public entities each have categories as well.

According to a press release, winners are not necessarily selected based on the number of votes, but on the quality of the stories told.

“Having a strong story provided along with the nuts and bolts of the nomination is very important. I can remember several stories over the years where the stories just knocked your socks off. They were so amazing, and indeed, it was the story that ended up getting those businesses their family-friendly workplace awards for those years,” said Eric Holland with the Early Childhood Development Commission.

“When kids are age 0 to 8 years old, that is the most critical time for their brain development, and so they wanted to highlight that on a community-wide basis,” Holland added.

The nomination period started Friday, March 24 and continues through April 7. Nominations can be submitted online here.

The awards are scheduled to be presented by Fairbanks Borough Mayor Bryce Ward at a luncheon of the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce on April 18.

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