Voices for Utah Children Articles
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Why We Advocate for Juvenile Justice Reform in Utah
Our team at Voices for Utah Children is proud to support juvenile justice reforms in Utah that are more effective and efficient for all involved. Recently, we’ve actively engaged in advocacy for reform since 2016, when state leadership embarked on a...
- Type: Article
- Author: Anna Thomas
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Utah Child Care Affordability Calculator
In Utah, raising a family with children is expensive. Whether or not a family can afford child care depends on income remaining after paying basic household expenses. To help policymakers understand these challenges, we're introducing the Utah Child...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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A Rough Legislative Session for Utah Kids (Again)
The 2024 Utah Legislative Session ended at midnight on Friday, March 1. For the Voices for Utah Children team, this session included supporting a lot of community engagement, working hard to protect the programs that protect Utah kids, and trying not...
- Type: Article
- Author: Anna Thomas
- Category: Updates & Blog
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What Happened With Child Care During the 2024 Legislative Session?
As we entered the 2024 session, supporting families with young children remained a top policy priority of Voices for Utah Children. At the forefront of our advocacy efforts is the urgent need to address the critical child care needs of these families....
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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FAQs on HB 153: Child Care Revisions
Representative Susan Pulsipher’s HB 153: Child Care Revisions narrowly passed the Utah State Legislature on February 28, 2024, and was signed by the Governor on March 14, 2024. Initially proposed as a child tax credit expansion initiative, HB 153 has...
- Type: Article
- Author: Anna Thomas
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Voices Opposes Legislative Efforts to Suppress Public Ballot Initiatives
Our organization recognizes the importance of standing against policies that jeopardize the well-being of Utah’s children. We believe that regular community members have the right and responsibility to influence decisions about policies that affect...
- Type: Article
- Author: Anna Thomas
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Oppose HB 153: Child Care Revisions - Protect Kids in Care!
Representative Susan Pulsipher’s HB 153 was initially aimed at providing tax relief for families with young children through an expanded state child tax credit. Originally, the bill aimed to extend the child tax credit eligibility from ages one to...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Child Care for Utah's Future: A Call to Action for Elected Officials
This open letter was released on January 31, 2024, by Neighborhood House and Voices for Utah Children, two non-profit organizations working together with other community partners to create a better childcare system in Utah for the benefit of all the...
- Type: Article
- Author: Anna Thomas
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Why Voices Opposes Proposed Income Tax Cuts Over the past four years, Utah's Legislative Leadership has consistently prioritized tax cuts above the needs of Utah's families. Despite a $400 million tax cut passed last year that benefited the most...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Take Action on EITC Awareness Day
January 26th is Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day! The EITC is a vital tool in reducing child poverty, and improving the long-term outcomes for children across our state. Some tax policies - like the EITC - promote fairness and equity....
- Type: Article
- Author: Abdikadir Eftin
- Category: Updates & Blog
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At Voices for Utah Children, we always start with this guiding question: "Is it good for all kids?" That remains our north star at the outset of the 2024 legislative session, and is reflected in our top legislative priorities. So, what’s good for all...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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How to Strengthen Utah's Child Tax Credit
In 2023, Utah introduced its own child tax credit (CTC) marking a positive step forward. However, the credit's limited scope falls short of providing real assistance to families raising young children. As we approach the 2024 legislative session, there...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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The Governor’s 2024 Budget: Hits and Misses for Utah Families
Governor Cox unveiled his budget last week, and the general direction of the budget is positive. Voices for Utah Children is interested in some specific components of the budget that directly impact Utah children and their families: Public Education...
- Type: Article
- Author: Anna Thomas
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Tax Policy 101: Tax Refundability
Tax policy is complicated. Talking about taxes involves jargon, and concepts that can be confusing. For example, what is a 'refundable' tax credit? What exactly does that mean, and how does it help families? We answer these questions here with a quick...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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As many Utahns experienced firsthand during the pandemic, a generous child tax credit (CTC) can make a world of difference for families raising young children. During this challenging time, the CTC was temporarily expanded and made refundable, granting...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Mapping Care for Kids: A County-Level Look at Utah’s Crisis in Licensed Child Care
Utah’s family demographics have changed. 53% of Utah families have all available parents in the workforce, making child care a necessity. These days, most Utah families need two incomes to maintain financial stability. But Utah’s licensed child care...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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It’s Official: Access to Licensed Child Care Statewide is Really Bad (and Getting Worse)
We know that Utah’s child care crisis is bad, and is going to get worse. New data helps illustrate exactly how bad the situation is, in each county across the state. Next week Voices for Utah Children will release a report titled, “Mapping Care for...
- Type: Article
- Author: Jenna Williams
- Category: Updates & Blog
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New State CHIP Program: A Win for Utah Children and Families
Wednesday, October 4, 2023 Voices for Utah Children is proud to have co-hosted the momentous unveiling of the new State CHIP Program during our morning press conference. We are grateful to have worked with Senator Luz Escamilla (D-Salt Lake City) and...
- Type: Article
- Author: Ciriac Alvarez Valle
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Making Utah Taxes Fair for All Families
Most of us don't enjoy paying taxes. We do it, though, because pooling our money together through taxes makes it possible for us to have roads, schools, libraries and parks, fire fighters and law enforcement, and so many more public goods that none of...
- Type: Article
- Author: Taylor Throne
- Category: Updates & Blog
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Empower Utah Families with Better Income Tax Credits
When it comes to improving the lives of hardworking Utahns, we need policies that help those who are struggling to make ends meet. A refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) could do just that. Let's start by discussing what the earned income tax...
- Type: Article
- Author: Taylor Thorne
- Category: Updates & Blog
