Utah parents scramble for after-school care
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Hundreds of Utah families will start losing their child care subsidies this week — not just for daycare, but also for after-school care.
Why it matters: Utah's unmet demand for after-school care is already more critical than in most other states, according to the Afterschool Alliance's latest data.
Driving the news: New state income limits took effect Thursday, lowering the maximum amount a family can earn and still receive subsidies.
By the numbers: A single parent in Utah with two kids would now have to make less than about $51,000 a year to apply for help, compared to $87,000 under the previous limits.
- More than 900 Utah families will lose assistance.
Catch up quick: The change comes two years after federal pandemic relief expired, reducing Utah's funding by more than $20 million.
- Then, in July, the Trump administration rolled back a Biden-era rule that required enough assistance to ensure low-income families don't spend more than 7% of their income on child care.
Friction point: The Trump administration also reversed rules that required states to pay providers up front and base assistance on enrollment, rather than attendance.
- Those policies were intended to stabilize revenue for center operators so they don't close amid already-dire shortages.
Case in point: Hundreds of West Side families were thrown into a lurch last year when Poplar Grove's Lied Boys & Girls Club closed due to $2 million in federal funding cuts.
Flashback: The Trump administration also withheld nearly $7 billion last year that Congress had allocated for after-school and summer programs, throwing Utah's after-school programs into budget and hiring crises.
What they're saying: Cost is the prohibitive factor for more than half of the Utah parents surveyed by the Afterschool Alliance, who said they haven't enrolled their kids in after-school programs even though they want to.
- Nearly half cited transportation and inconvenient locations, and 40% said nearby programs don't have availability.
About 83% of Utah kids whose parents want after-school care don't have it, the group estimates — the sixth-highest rate in the country.
Between the lines: Utah doesn't provide state funds for after-school care, but the Utah Afterschool Network is asking officials for part of the state's recent $212 million Meta settlement.
- It's unclear whether lawmakers will agree.
What we're watching: The Trump administration wants to further cut child care subsidies for working parents and use the money to pay parents to stay home.