Did you know that 77% of Utah residents live in a childcare desert, where access to affordable childcare is limited or nonexistent? And when childcare programs are available, the average price for home-based care is $8,805 a year and $11,232 a year for center-based care?
66% of children under six in Summit County need childcare, the third highest rate in Utah. Our community’s average monthly cost for center-based childcare is $1,408.
The high cost and inaccessibility of childcare in our community contribute largely to social inequities and gaps in the workforce, mainly working mothers, women of color, and women in the childcare profession who make well under the national poverty rate.
In Utah, state and federal funding enable more than 28,203 children and families to access high-quality, public and private early childhood programs. Currently, there is a risk at the state level to cut down on this funding, which puts families and early childcare centers at risk.
During the 2023 Utah Legislative session, Park City Community Foundation’s Early Childhood Alliance is partnering with local organizations to advocate for the needs of our youngest Utahns and their families.
We invite you to join us in person at Childcare Advocacy Day on the Hill on January 27, any time from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM in the Capitol Rotunda, to show your support for quality education for kids, choice and affordability for parents and fair wages for educators. Click here to RSVP >>
Posted in: Early Childhood, Our Impact