Childcare/Pre-K                                                                                                 

Utah families face significant challenges navigating the childcare landscape with issues related to accessibility, affordability, and quality complicating the very personal and critical decisions families face. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has identified a “market failure” in the childcare sector, indicating a disconnect between the current services and what’s in the best interest of children and families. The childcare industry operates as a private market where the cost for both consumers and childcare business owners limits the system’s ability to support families. Additionally, those who work in childcare often do not earn a living age. A Bolder Way Forward Childcare/Pre-K Programs spoke leaders, partners, and affiliates are working together to improve access to affordable, high-quality childcare and pre-K programs to ensure the long-term health and prosperity of Utah children, families, and the state. To learn more, listen to the spoke leaders discuss the work on this 15-minute podcast.

Spoke Leaders

Bold Vision & Goals

To make Utah a place where more girls and women can thrive, the Childcare/Pre-K spoke leaders and partners have crafted the vision and goals below. Spoke leadership and UWLP team members are currently working to collect baseline data that will assist in adding numbers to the changes we want to see by 2026 and 2030.

Vision: Ensure that affordable, accessible, and high-quality childcare is available for all Utah families who need it.

Goals: 

1. Improve affordability by working to increase Real State Childcare Funding. [Metric Dashboard]
2. Influence affordability by increasing per child subsidies for centers with “High Quality” and “High Quality Plus” ratings. [Metric Dashboard]
3. Improve accessibility for families continuing their education by working to increase the capacity of childcare facilities at Utah public institutions of higher learning by 5% per year per campus. [Metric Dashboard]
4. Increase accessibility for employees of Utah’s 100 Companies Championing Women as reflected by the increased percentage of companies providing a childcare benefit. [Metric Dashboard]
5. Partner with business owners to improve the quality of childcare provided by boosting the number of Licensed Childcare Centers with a “High Quality” and “High Quality Plus” ratings. [Metric Dashboard]
6. Support the quality of Licensed Childcare Providers by taking steps toward raising the number of Licensed Family Programs and Licensed Childcare Centers. [Metric Dashboard]
7. Change Utahns’ agreement (understanding and perceptions) in the following areas: [Metric Dashboard]
   1. Access to childcare is an issue that families face in Utah. [Increase agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]
   2. Childcare providers are professionals. [Increase agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]
   3. Childcare and Pre-K programs play an important role in early childhood education. [Increase agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]
   4. Government has a role in addressing childcare in Utah. [Increase agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]

Thriving Statement: Women and families who need childcare thrive when they have access to affordable, quality childcare and early childhood development opportunities.

Partners

Working Group Leaders

• Accessibility: Megan Hitchcock (Tutoring Center Coordinator, Southern Utah University) 
• Policy: Melanie Call (Childcare Activist)
• Quality & Affordability: Anna Ek (Owner, Mom Pod Co.)
• Research: Mackenzie Geneocov (Economic Development Specialist, U.S. Department of Commerce)