Alaska Department of Health moves to ease parts of child care licensing burden

The state government is taking aim at eliminating one of the most common barriers for people who want to open child care centers in remote communities: The state requirement for a special internet connection called a “static IP address.”

Every device connected to has its own Internet Protocol, or IP, address. While most device addresses can change, static IP addresses don’t. They can be costly and hard to get in remote parts of Alaska where internet access is a known challenge.

Would-be child care providers in remote parts of Alaska have said they can’t get licensed because the state’s require...