We envision a care system in which children are in safe, engaging environments, that fit their family needs, with caregivers who are fairly compensated and treated with respect.
Utah’s child care system supports thousands of children’s development while enabling parents to work and serve their communities. High-quality, affordable, and accessible child care is critical public infrastructure, on par with housing and roads. The child care sector is in market failure, with families and child care providers no longer able to sponsor the countless positive externalities created by this important public resource. Our current approach to child care is unsustainable and inequitable. To best serve children and families throughout our state, we must commit to reforming and investing in our child care system. Whether Utah’s littlest kids spend their days at home with their parents, in formal child care, in private or public pre-school or with family and friends, they all deserve the support of our community.
Key Priorities
- Advocate for public investment to make early care and learning opportunities more affordable for families.
- Improve access to formal child care and expand financial support for parents at home to give parents true care choices.
- Protect children by ensuring all child care settings are safe.
- Stabilize the child care sector and strengthen the bond between kids and their caregivers by supporting a well-paid, well-trained, and dedicated child care workforce.
Child Care Advocacy Tools
Mapping Care for Kids Report
The report details Utah's current child care crisis, examining the availability of licensed child care across the state and in each county. By conducting a detailed analysis of both the demand and supply of child care services, the report aims to provide policymakers and the public with a clear understanding of the urgent need for child care reform.
Utah Child Care Affordability Calculator
The Utah Child Care Affordability Calculator is a policy tool to helps policymakers understand how families' finances intersect with child care costs. By selecting a county, users can see if families, based on median income, can afford licensed child care after covering basic expenses.
Ongoing Child Care Advocacy Efforts
Sounding the Alarm on Utah's Child Care Funding Cliff
Thanks to nearly $600 million in federal child care funds Utah defied national trends by expanding the number of child care slots available by 31%. As federal COVID-era funds end, child care providers and the parents they serve are looking to elected officials to ensure that the sector doesn’t immediately fall back into total crisis.
Supporting the Child Care Workforce
In 2024, the Utah Legislature passed a law that supports childcare workers by covering their childcare costs even if their income is above typical thresholds. However, the state's Office of Child Care has no plan or timeline for implementing the policy. We continue to advocate for funding and implementation of this important program and policies that support the childcare workforce.
Previous Initiatives
Care for Kids Network
Incubated at Voices for Utah Children, Care for Kids is now a permanent program of UAEYC. Care for Kids is a network of parents and child care providers advocating for a well-functioning, affordable, sustainable system of care for children, with the purpose of educating advocates, policymakers, and government officials. Click below to visit the Care for Kids website.
Utah Full-Day Kindergarten Now
The Utah Full-Day Kindergarten Now! Coalition was a joint project of several community organizations and associations advocating for full state funding for optional full-day kindergarten programs. In 2023, the Utah Legislature passed HB477, "Full Day Kindergarten Amendments." Thanks to years of hard work by families, educators, policy champions and community leaders, Utah now has access to real kindergarten choice for Utah families. Click below to learn more about efforts to expand optional Full-Day Kindergarten across our state.
