Voices for Utah Children Articles

  • All Kids Count! Protect the 2030 Census

    This summer, Wasatch County opened Deer Creek High School in Heber City after enrollment at its only high school passed 2,600 students. In Saratoga Springs, a new high school now under construction will serve the rapidly growing cities of Saratoga...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Martín Muñoz and Laneta Fitisemanu
    • Category: Updates & Blog
  • Prosperity Equity Dashboard

    Just Released: Prosperity & Geographic Equity Dashboard

    Utah is often recognized as a good place to raise a family. In the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, Utah ranks 3rd in the nation for overall child well-being. Here's how the state ranks in each of the Data Book's four areas: 2nd...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Martín C. Muñoz, Kriti Roy, Laneta Fitisemanu
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • Amendment B: What's at Stake for Utah Kids

    At Voices for Utah Children, we believe Utah families should have a meaningful voice in shaping the future of our state. That is why we have serious concerns about Amendment B, which will appear on Utah ballots on November 3rd. What Amendment B Would...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Moe Hickey
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • Why Utahns Should Be Concerned About the Proposed Changes to Head Start

    Implications for the Proposed Changes to Utah's Head Start and Early Head Start. Take Action Now The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed significant changes to the federal Head Start Program Performance Standards. Public comments...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Jennifer Stout
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • Protecting Birthright Citizenship For Utah Children

    On April 1st, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Barbara v. Trump, more than a year after President Trump released his Executive Order 14160 – “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship. [1]” The decision this...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Ciriac Alvarez Valle
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • 2026 Legislative Recap: Was it Good for Kids?

    Utah has long branded itself as the best state for families. We celebrate our high birth rates, our focus on the future, and our “pro-family” values. But during this year's 2026 legislative session, one truth stands out: budgets are moral documents....

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Moe Hickey
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • We Oppose A New ICE Facility In Utah

    Yesterday, we learned about a warehouse facility (6020 W. 300 South) that was sold to the Department of Homeland Security for $145.5 million to be used for an ICE facility. We are deeply concerned about the negative consequences of having an ICE...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Moe Hickey
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • Keep Kids Safe: Support SB 124

    Urgent: Help Revive SB124 to Protect Utah’s Children We encourage you to reach out to your House Representatives today to support SB124: Child Welfare Modifications, sponsored by Sen. Escamilla and Rep. Watkins. This important bipartisan bill did not...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Laneta Fitisemanu
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • Commentary: The Story Utah Is Writing With Its Tax Policy

    Let me start with a question. What if I told you, that some Utah families will get about $13 from the tax cut being proposed this year…and other families will get nearly $2,000? Same policy. Same state. Very different outcomes. Now, this is not a talk...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Moe Hickey
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • What’s happening in Juvenile Justice this Session?

    HB 188 Juvenile Justice Amendments: Trading Treatment for Punishment HB188 Juvenile Justice Amendments is sponsored by Representative Peck and has passed out of the Utah House of Representatives this week. It is now headed to the Senate for its...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Martín C. Muñoz
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • Protect Utah Families: Vote NO to HB 88 (Now HB 386)

    Important Bill Update! On Friday, February 27, 2026 portions of Rep. Trevor Lee’s HB 88 substituted key parts of the bill into HB 386 after HB 88 stalled earlier in the week. While these provisions do not include all of HB 88’s original proposals, they...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Megan Neuf and Ciriac Alvarez Valle
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • 2026 Legislative Recap: Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

    This legislative session introduced several key proposals impacting Utah’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems, highlighting several important themes shaping policy. 1. Balancing Accountability and Diversion: House Bill 188 highlights the...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Martín C. Muñoz
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • 2026 Legislative Recap: Children's Health

    The 2026 session ended with generally positive outcomes for children's health policy, but the primary focus throughout, from the start to the end, was defense. Going into the session, we anticipated bills targeting the State CHIP program even beyond...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Megan Neuf
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • 2026 Legislative Recap: Immigrant Family Policies

    This year, we closely monitored and engaged on several bills throughout the Legislative Session. We started with three main priorities that guided our advocacy efforts on our immigrant family policies: protecting access to public programs, opposing...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Ciriac Alvarez Valle
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • 2026 Legislative Recap: K-12 Education and Child Care

    The 2026 legislative session brought both meaningful progress and missed opportunities for Utah’s children and families. Throughout the session, advocates, educators, and community partners worked to elevate issues impacting child care access, early...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Jennifer Stout
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • 2026 Legislative Recap: Tax & Budget

    At the end of each legislative session, we’re often left sharing a discouraging update: year after year, lawmakers tend to pass the bills we oppose and stall the ones we support. This session, however, felt different. Of the priority bills we tracked,...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Jenna Williams
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • The National Child Care Freeze: Money Over Safety

    Concerns about child care safety were raised for years, but it took a cash discrepancy to draw national attention. Why a funding pause has revealed deeper gaps in child safety and accountability. There’s a particular kind of irony happening right now,...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Jennifer Stout
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • Opposing The Proposed Public Charge Rule

    Last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a proposal that would repeal the 2022 public charge rule. The 2022 policy and current guidelines consider lawful permanent residency (green card) applicants who have used cash...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Ciriac Alvarez Valle
    • Category: Updates & Blog

  • A Village Without Kindness: How Eliminating Utah’s Income Tax Hurts Kids

    Tax policy shapes the daily lives of every family, every classroom, and every community. Everyone deserves to understand what is at stake as Utah continues to chip away at the income tax with long term efforts to eliminate it entirely. To make this...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Jenna Williams
    • Category: Updates & Blog
  • Hands Holding Paper Family

    Salt Lake County’s Child Care Closures: Parents Seek Solutions

    In late October 2025, the Salt Lake County Council voted to begin closing four county-run child-care centers: in Kearns, Magna, Millcreek, and the Fair Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City. These centers have served hundreds of local families for...

    • Type: Article
    • Author: Jennifer Stout
    • Category: Updates & Blog
Results 1 - 20 of 398