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Utah Childcare Program Boosts Economy, Report Shows

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by Lauren Steinbrecher • Published on
Utah Insight

What happens when you use public funding to pay for childcare? The answer, according to one county and city in Utah, is a huge economic boost. A recently released report has tallied the numbers and impact. Now, program advocates hope to keep that momentum going. 
 

Blown away by success 

A few years ago, Summit County found itself faced with a conundrum: how to keep local parents employed in jobs that sustain the area’s tourism and economy, while also lowering the cost parents were paying for childcare while at work. 

Families had been reaching out to the council, saying it wasn’t sustainable to live and work in the area. Some were leaving the workforce to stay home with their children. Others were looking at leaving the community altogether. 

“They showed up to council meetings in great numbers, which not many people normally do,” recalled Summit County Council Chair Canice Harte. “We were having [community] meetings at people's homes. There was really a huge level of interest from the families.” 

In Park City, which sits within Summit County, the city council was hearing the same thing. 

“Our residents and workforce were having a really hard time trying to make ends meet,” said Michelle Downard, strategic initiatives advisor for Park City. “They were going to have to make decisions of staying inside the city or exiting the workforce. That was when the city council and the county council really decided to take action, and jump in.” 

As highlighted in a Utah Insight story last year, both entities set aside funding for a pilot program that subsidized the cost of childcare for residents through scholarships. It quickly turned into a nationwide model, recognized for its revolutionary approach. 

Now two years in, a new impact report and parent survey, compiled by Upwards—which administers the program—shows it only continues to grow. 

“We've been just blown away by the success of the program,” Harte said.
 

WATCH: How a Utah Childcare Program Is Boosting the Economy

 

In 2024, the report shows the program served 125 families and 150 children in Park City and Summit County combined. In 2025, that rose to 162 families and 186 children. There’s now a waitlist, as even more families apply. 

“I think it's really reflective of the demand and the need for our community members to be able to get that support for childcare,” Downard said. 

According to the report, Park City scholarship recipient residents received about $820 a month on average, per child. In Summit County, scholarship recipient residents received just under $900 a month on average, per child. 

Scholarships are paid directly to childcare providers. 

Both Park City and Summit County added the scholarships as a job benefit for employees, at a flat rate of $200 a month. 

Most families surveyed for the report—98%—said the scholarship provided them with financial relief. 

In addition to easing financial stress, parents reported the subsidy gave them access to higher-quality childcare, allowed them to increase work hours, cut down on childcare-related work absences, keep their job, even get a promotion. 

“We can see the program resonating with the residents and our workforce, which is really important,” Council Chair Harte said. 

Benefiting the community as a whole 

Harte learned the scholarship program is also resonating with the local economy.  

In crunching the numbers, Upwards found the city and county’s $1.56 million investment turned into more than $6.61 million in economic impact. 

“We were getting a three hundred and twenty-five percent return on investment,” Downard explained. “Everything from sustained wages, to avoiding turnover for employment, and then also increased productivity from our workforce.” 

Council Chair Harte said they saw an increased return on tax revenue as families had higher-paying jobs, were able to work more, and could spend more as a result. 

“It really, honestly benefits the community as a whole,” he said. “So, there's an absolute correlation between this program and the financial success of the county.” 

Harte brought up how the program gave nearly 200 kids a headstart on early education, leading to more successful outcomes later in life. 

“This allows kids to thrive when they get into elementary school. That means they're going to have more productive lives and do better as a whole,” he explained. 

Harte wants to continue the program into a third year and said he wants to see local businesses join in the effort. 

Almost half of the families surveyed work in the hospitality and tourism industry. 

“What I would like to see the county do, and the council, is… to get employers and businesses like our ski resorts to really step up in contributing to this program and to really take it on themselves,” he said. 

If they do, Summit County and Park City will have the numbers to show that what they’re doing is working. 

“I think it's really shown meaningful impact,” Downard expressed. “Not only economic but also social, for families that need it the most.” 

View this page on Upwards to learn more about the childcare subsidy scholarship, including how to apply. 

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