It's Friday! 🎉

• ☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high of 85.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Mary Ann Stropkay!

Today’s newsletter is 988 words — a 3.5-minute read.

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 yesterday, 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.

• 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.

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.

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Securing after-school care was the most panic-inducing step I can remember in sending my kid to kindergarten.

Sure, it was great not to spend double the University of Utah's in-state tuition on full-time daycare for another year — but the pitfalls were manifold:

• The district wouldn't confirm whether my kid would be in half- or full-day kindergarten, so I couldn't even try to enroll her in a program until a week or two before school started.
• Some programs provide transportation from school. But if you don't get into one of those, you'll have to leave work every day to shuttle them around town — with almost no notice for your employer.

Worst-case: Parents with one kid in half-day kindergarten and another in full-day school may have to leave work twice — which is especially untenable for a downtown worker who lives in, say, Cottonwood Heights or West Jordan.

📬 Tell us: What acrobatics have you performed to ensure after-school care for your kids?

• Hit reply to this email to share your "adventures."

⚖️ Former state Rep. Trevor Lee (R-Layton) is scheduled to make his first court appearance Oct. 28 after the he was charged with fraud and forgery earlier this week. (Salt Lake Tribune)

• Lee resigned from the Legislature after the charges were filed by the Utah Attorney General's Office.

🛒 Herriman's first Trader Joe's opens next Friday at The Commons at Herriman Towne Center, the grocery chain announced on its website. (Salt Lake Tribune)

💰 Forty states, including Utah, reached a $700 million settlement with a Michigan-based auto loan company accused of taking advantage of borrowers with low incomes and credit scores. (Utah News Dispatch)

• The company, Credit Acceptance Corporation, did not admit fault or wrongdoing.

The 9th & 9th whale is making a splash with a new look.

State of play: Salt Lake City is holding Whale Fest 2-7pm tomorrow to celebrate the landlocked whale's new mural.

• The event, at the roundabout, will feature a costume contest, whale call contest and a parade, along with local vendors, live music and food trucks.

Zoom in: The "Open Your Eyes" mural by local artist Jiyoun Lee-Lodge is inspired by the Great Salt Lake and Utah's open skies.

• Her design was selected by city arts officials and community members.

The big picture: The whale has developed a cult following since its creation in 2022 by artist Stephen Kesler, inspiring a satirical religion, marathons around the sculpture and even a miniature replica.

What's next: The whale's mural will change every three to five years.

Fall is in full swing in Salt Lake this weekend.

🌕 Harvest Moon Market: From fine-line tattoos to candles and baked goods, you can find everything at this pop-up market from 3pm-8pm today in collaboration with the Creator's Collective Market, Sunroom Coffee and Salt Lake Crossing.

• Where: Sunroom Coffee

🎶 Carín León: There are still tickets left to watch the regional Mexican singer in Salt Lake City for his North American tour 8pm today.

• Where: Delta Center

🍻 Craftober Fest: Celebrate South Salt Lake's creative community with live music, local art and food vendors, craft brews and cocktails noon-5pm tomorrow.

• Where: 2460 S. between Main Street and West Temple

👊 UFC 332: Natalia Silva and Wang Cong are headlining this MMA event, squaring off for the flyweight title at 2pm tomorrow.

• Where: Delta Center

🐈‍⬛ Black Cat Market: This fall-themed market will feature local artisans and shops 10am-5pm Sunday.

• Where: Publik Space

💧 Erin misses Atlanta's humidity, but she's happy to be back home.

👻 Kim is going to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood this weekend.

This newsletter was edited by Astrid Galván.