Utah
Working families in Utah need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Utah. But too many working families in Utah are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Utah economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 55% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $14,160 a year (or $1,180 per month).
More than 8,500 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 15% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $412 a month.
7.3K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 14% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 34% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 33.5K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $1.7 billion each year in lost earnings and productivity.
Utah: In The Headlines
Report: Child care costs now surpass in-state college tuition in 41 states
KUTV | sEPTEMBER 24, 2025
In many parts of the country, parents pay more for child care than a mortgage or rent, putting formal care financially out of reach for many moderate and low-income families.
Utah child care provider says the free market can’t fix everything
WBUR | May 12, 2025
Here & Now’s Asma Khalid speaks with Kristyn Rose, a longtime child care provider in Hyde Park, Utah.
Opinion: Congressional funding for child care is crucial to supporting Utah families
Deseret News | May 15, 2025
“I traveled from southern Utah to Washington, D.C., to speak with congressional staff about the urgent need to fund the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, our nation’s main child care investment.”
Utah Resources & News
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2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets
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2024 CCDBG State Fact Sheets
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New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements
Every day, early childhood educators play a crucial role in nurturing and shaping the minds of our youngest learners. Yet, the qualifications required for this essential workforce vary drastically across …
Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …
FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
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New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program
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The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …
FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets
Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …
Utah — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
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The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …
Governors Highlight Child Care As Key To Helping States Recover And Grow
For years, Democratic and Republican governors alike have prioritized early learning and care as a smart investment for their states. It’s no surprise, then, that as America faces an ever-worsening child care …
2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding
FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …
Utah — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …
Utah: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States
On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state. As in previous years, CAP’s …
See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care
Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …
Utah: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
46 States and Territories to Receive Preschool Development Grants
Big news! 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), a $250 million competitive federal grant designed to improve states’ existing early …
