Early Childhood Alliance: 2025 Year in Review

Communities thrive when their families and workforce thrive. That’s why Park City Community Foundation’s Early Childhood Alliance advocates for affordable childcare and parent support, provides grants, educates and convenes stakeholders, and supports other local efforts.

As we close out 2025, we’re reflecting on the progress made in the last year, including continual growth in the local childcare scholarship programs, record granting amounts, the launch of Best Places for Working Parents, and continuous advocacy at the local and state level. See below for more Early Childhood Alliance milestones during 2025.

Grants

Since its inception in 2018, Early Childhood Alliance has distributed over $1.7 million in grants. In 2025, a total of $384,259.35 was distributed to the following organizations:

$100,000 Holy Cross Ministries for its “Parents as Teachers” program

$100,000 PC Tots

$25,000 Dolly Parton Imagination Library

$12,000 Utah Diaper Bank

$107,259.35 Summit County Childcare Scholarship Program (15% administration fee for initial 2025 budget plus additional funding for November and December scholarships)
$40,000 Park City Municipal Childcare Scholarship Program (15% administration fee for $300,000 included in 25/26 budget)

Local Childcare Scholarship Program

Early Childhood Alliance helped lead the creation of a first-of-its-kind local childcare scholarship program with Park City Council and Summit County Council, which launched in January 2024. Along with advocating for the program, Early Childhood Alliance pays the administrative costs of the program to ensure all public money goes directly to local providers and local families and actively works alongside city and county staff to improve implementation.

As of September 2025, 194 kids have received either a Park City (146) or Summit County (48) childcare scholarship with approximately $70,000 being distributed each month to 20 local childcare providers. Upwards published its first impact report early in 2025 and will be putting out an updated report in 2026.

Park City Municipal added an additional $300,000 in its budget for childcare scholarships in 2025/2026, and Summit County is considering adding $343,350 to its 2026 budget. 

Additionally, the program has received statewide and national recognition for its innovative approach, collaboration, and effectiveness. This includes:

Recognition by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Our program was featured on its Employer Child Care Navigator website, and Michelle Downard from Park City spoke at the National Childcare Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C.

The Utah Legislature funded the Child Care Solutions and Workplace Productivity Plan, which recognized the Park City Scholarship Program

Mayor Worel was invited by Moms First to represent Park City at Child Care Hill Day in Washington, D.C., where she spoke alongside industry leaders on advancing childcare solutions

PBS Utah Insight created a 10-minute segment called “Solving Utah’s Childcare Challenges,” which featured the scholarship program as one of two examples of solutions in the state that are working

Scholarship program discussed in August 2025 round table hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free, monthly books to children under five years old in Summit County. Early Childhood Alliance funds the program locally.

Over 9,400 books were mailed to local families in 2025, which means that more than 40,550 have been sent since the program was established in the area in 2020. A total of 735 kids in Summit County have “graduated” from the program.

If you have or know kids under the age of five in Summit County, please make sure they are signed up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library! It’s free and a great way to expose kids to high-quality, age-appropriate books. Learn more and sign up here >>

Best Place for Working Parents

To better support and bolster our local business sector, Salt Lake Chamber, Park City Chamber, Heber Valley Chamber, and Park City Community Foundation partnered to bring the businesses of the Salt Lake, Summit, and Wasatch Counties innovative workplace solutions for the working parents and families in their workforces.

The program offers a 3-minute online self-assessment that highlights the top 10 research-backed policies that benefit working parents and businesses’ bottom line. The designation is based on family-friendly offerings, type of industry, and number of staff. If the company earns the designation, it can display the badge and receive marketing materials. If the company does not qualify, Best Place for Working Parents shares resources and suggestions to make the business more family friendly while keeping all results confidential.

So far, we’ve had nearly 50 businesses earn the Best Place for Working Parents with 68 who have taken the self-assessment or started the process. There will be a continued effort to get more businesses from all three counties involved through continuous outreach, storytelling, business features, and upcoming awards. To learn more and take the self-assessment, please visit: bestplace4workingparents.com/salt-lake-summit-and-wasatch-counties/  

State Advocacy

Early Childhood Alliance supported Park City and Summit County in their discussions with Representatives Jason Thompson and Tracy Miller to discuss state level investments in early care and education.

Successfully advocated for investment of TANF funds in childcare, potentially opening up $15 million investment in unobligated, reserved TANF funds.

Kristen Schulz, Early Childhood Alliance Director, was invited to serve on Policy Project’s advisory council for family affordability.

Discussed potential revolving loan to support employer-supported childcare.

Continuing advocating for childcare industry as part of the Office of Childcare Advisory Committee.

Additional Support

Addressing the Diaper Need: In 2025, a total of 93,543 free diapers have been distributed in Summit County in collaboration with Utah Diaper Bank and other local partners.

CPR Classes: Offered pediatric CPR/First aid certification for free in Spanish to caregivers of young children in partnership with the Summit County Health Department, WIC, and Peace House.

Collaboration Regarding Access to Special Needs Services: Convened local partners including Holy Cross Ministries, PC Tots, Summit County Early Intervention, Summit County Women, Infants and Children, Park City School District Preschool Program, and Wasatch Pediatrics to discuss increasing access to early screening and intervention services. As a result of this collaboration, Summit County Health Department submitted an application for $200,000 for a 0-8 Care Coordinator (waiting to learn if awarded).