Growing childcare crisis in Utah impacts parents and teachers

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Salt Lake County Council is cutting funding for its parks and recreation childcare program at the end of the year, as the program was operating at only half capacity.

This decision leaves more than 300 families without childcare, and many parents are left wondering where to turn next.

Finding affordable childcare in Utah has never been easy. Many say the state’s childcare is only getting worse, at a time when early childhood development is critical. Some parents even say there is a childcare crisis in Utah.

“It’s not affordable on a one-person income but also finding a place where I would feel comfortable taking her,” Victoria Rotega said.

Rotega, a single mom with a five-year-old, says finding the right program has been almost impossible.

“Childcare is super important for families, children and providers, and programs. These children and parents need that to go to work, because if we don’t have a good place to take our kids and make a living, we can’t support our families,” Rotega said.

Rotega decided to work in childcare just so she could stay close to her daughter and afford the benefits. She said, ““I was already in the career, but it was definitely why I’m choosing to stay there as long as I am.”

The average cost of daycare in Utah is $650 to $1,800 per month, according to the Trusted Care website. A price many like Allison Sprague says she’s struggling to manage.

“I’m not just going to go to whatever is closest, but I also have to live within a budget, so trying to find a quality place that fits our needs has been a challenge,” Sprague said.

Experts say there’s a shortage of providers; providers are often paid close to minimum wage despite the demand for their job. This can lead to high turnover, making it hard for centers to stay open or grow and creating inconsistency for children.

“You want to make sure there is a consistency with the teachers and that there’s not a lot of turnovers, children struggle when they don’t have a consistent adult in the classroom because they are constantly attaching to another person,” Encarni Gallardo, executive director of the Children’s Service Society of Utah, said.

She says Utah is very expensive when it comes to childcare, and families cannot afford that. Fortunately, there is help available through a state-funded site connecting parents with licensed providers nearby.

Gallardo says there are six agencies throughout the state that are funded with state funding and support parents, and individuals can find them at careaboutchildcare.utah.gov.

People can go there and search and put your zip code or work that is close to them, their children’s ages and needed hours, and the website shows which programs are in the area. From there, parents can call and sign up their children.

Gallardo wants to see more resources invested in Utah’s children.

“It is a huge investment these children have brain size sponges that are learning everything around them, and if we can do the best we can at that age, we are showing what they need to be successful citizens,” Gallardo said.