Utah families need more support for affordable childcare

Utah’s political leaders say they like economic growth. They also say they like strong families.

But it is all so much talk unless our state’s political and business leaders do more — a lot more — to ensure affordable childcare services are available to more Utah families.

It is not necessary to care at all about the woes of individual families, about parents (mostly mothers) who have to leave college or vocational training before they finish, who have to quit their jobs or give up career advancements, all because they can’t find or afford adequate childcare.

A dollars-and-cents view of the problem shows what the Utah economy is losing because it lacks this vital part of a community’s basic infrastructure.

A 2022 survey published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation — working with United Way of Salt Lake, Voices of Utah Children and the Salt Lake Chamber — was titled “Untapped Potential.” That’s because it measured what Utah loses due to inadequate child care availability.

According to the survey, the overall Utah economy loses $1.36 billion a year because of lost productivity, employee absenteeism and turnover, abandoned careers, degrees or certificates not completed. The state also comes up some $256 million short in annual tax revenues.

And that’s not counting the human cost of dreams delayed or abandoned, of children left in unlicensed, inadequate, even dangerous, facilities.

There was some federal and state money put up to assist childcare providers and customers during and immediately after the coronavirus pandemic. It helped.

But that flow of funds has been running out, and a new administration that prides itself on randomly cutting large amounts out of the nation’s social and educational budgets is only going to make things worse.

Utah’s political, business and religious leaders need to step up.

Larger employers should see the benefits of offering on-site childcare facilities, where parents will be more likely to get to work on time and strengthen parental bonds by being able check in on their children during the day. Smaller employers can prioritize flexibility for parents, in a number of creative ways. Churches with spaces that go unused during the week, and school districts that have downsized, should provide room for care centers.

The state should be more aggressive in providing subsidies, tax credits and other incentives to make childcare affordable for families and working in the field a desirable career. And we need a solution for the untenable cost of liability insurance, which is a massive problem for daycare centers.

It will cost money. But it will cost a lot less than $1.36 billion.

Editorials represent the opinions of The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

Kyle Whittingham and his Utah football coaching staff have been very busy out on the recruiting trails this spring, arranging visits and extending offers to some of the top high school football players in the country.

The third weekend of June is shaping up to be a big one for the Utes, as several star-studded prospects are set to make their way out to Salt Lake City for official visits.

Fort Bend Marshall High School (Texas) product Isaiah Williams recently added his name to the list of recruits who’ll descend upon Utah’s campus from June 20-22. Williams confirmed the visit on social media Saturday.

Williams is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound recruit from Missouri City, Texas. He’s ranked by Rivals as a four-star recruit and the No. 10 cornerback prospect in the class of 2026, while 247Sports Composite and On3’s databases have him listed as a three-star and top-50 safety in the country.

Williams holds over 30 scholarship offers from schools in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC. Texas, which has hosted him on a handful of visits already, is currently Rivals’ frontrunner to land a commitment. The Longhorns were listed in Williams’ top five that was released in October, along with Oklahoma, Ohio State, Missouri and LSU, though his recruitment process remains open.

According to MaxPreps, Williams had 56 tackles, including 33 solos, and one interception as a junior in 2024.

So far, the Utes’ 2026 recruiting class features three-star tight end Colby Simpson and three-star edge rusher Preston Pitts. RJ Mosley, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver from Pittsburg High School (California), is set to visit the Utes during a very important recruiting weekend for Whittingham and company. In addition to Mosley, Utah will host three-stars Gavin Day, Mataalii Benjamin, Sean Morris, Perrion Williams and Jaden Vaughn on June 20, according to 247Sports. Three-star cornerback Mason Lewis is also slated to visit that weekend.

MORE UTAH NEWS & ANALYSIS

When it comes to reducing juvenile crime in the state of Utah, and even more, preventing younger generations from entering into a lifestyle of criminal activity, a new informal working group focused on violence prevention came to a traditional, yet possibly forgotten —in modern society— conclusion:

It takes a village to raise a child.

Headed by Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, around 30 public safety leaders, medical professionals, policymakers and community advocates brought a whole-of-community perspective on Friday to the concern of violence in the state, specifically with the state’s younger population.

Though an initial conversation, Clancy hopes the collaboration will create a unified front in the state calling for zero tolerance on violence by “confronting the individuals, calling them in and saying, ‘the violence is unacceptable. You have a choice, and if you continue to commit violence’” formal action will be taken. But the hope is that these partnerships will create a community full of support via families, peers and mentors, so that “formal action” will not even need to be taken.

When it comes to many of these kids who find themselves acting out, or committing crimes, or possibly joining a gang, what it boils down to is their need for community, Michael Osborn, an ER physician and director of the emergency department at Utah Valley Hospital, said during the discussion.

He also noted that he’s seen an increase in the number of young patients coming in with mental health struggles in the last 10 years.

Most of these kids, he said, “don’t have a pathway and lack belonging, and don’t have someone who loves them, someone who believes in them.”

“They often end up feeling depressed and sad and suicidal. Those are the things that often lead to violence,” he added. “I would say, from what we see, the majority of crimes that are violent are typically involved with drugs and alcohol, even with kids, they’re going hand in hand. Some of those are usually coping mechanisms and usually because they don’t have purpose, they don’t have drive, they don’t have direction.”

During a two-hour discussion, many of the agreed-upon multipartisan solutions included investing in families, schools and mentor outreach.

When it comes to the social determinants of crime, Teresa Brechlin, program manager at Utah Department of Health and Human Services, said that though it is not definitive, oftentimes when kids are raised with adverse childhood experiences, there is a higher likelihood they will become involved in criminal behavior.

But, “It’s not a matter of sorting to see who’s going to be violent. It’s a matter of looking at the community as a whole and doing our best to ensure that they have the healthiest circumstances they have to grow up.”

When it comes to what works for kids, Pamela Vickrey, executive director of Utah Juvenile Defender Attorneys, said it takes one person.

“No matter where you go, you can talk to people, and they will say, ‘What’s the program that worked?’ And if you talk to the kids, what the kids will say is, ‘it wasn’t the program. It was a person. It was one person.’”

While programs are put in place to help struggling youth, Vickrey said the ratio of youth to mentor is so outnumbered that it’s not a given that each juvenile will get proper guidance.

Rep. Verona Mauga, D-Salt Lake City, has a background in behavioral health and experience in residential treatments. She reiterated to the Deseret News that children need that personal and unique attention.

“When I work with youth who are in the criminal justice system, it’s always one person. Like you can have a really great program, but if you don’t have someone who you think, or a group of people who you think actually care, it’s hard for a child to care for themselves, or to feel seen or just to feel like they’re prioritized,” Mauga said. “Because once that connection happens, you start to see success. You start to see a shift in changes within them.”

Mauga added that it’s vital to discuss juvenile violence with those engaged in grassroots efforts. That means teachers, counselors, and even people who have been rehabilitated after being in prison, and who are working with youth.

She called the group on Friday “inspiring.”

“Everyone brings an important perspective,” she said. “Until we can actually collaborate thoughtfully, we don’t solve the issue, and we just end up at this table again every few years. So I’m really excited for the possibilities of doing work in the early stages of adolescence, and just trying to ensure that there are resources and supports for kids before it gets too late.”