Park City’s Childcare Scholarship Program

Park City, Utah, directed $1 million from its operating budget to launch a needs-based childcare scholarship program in January 2024 to quickly lower costs for local families and city workers.

Park City is a small mountain town with a big footprint. Known for its world-class ski resorts and Olympic legacy, the town welcomes millions of visitors each year despite a population of just 8,500. The city’s small population strains local services and the workforce needed to maintain them. Amid growing concerns around childcare access, some families began reconsidering their ability to live or work in Park City. To better understand the issue, the municipality partnered with the Early Childhood Alliance of the Park City Community Foundation and Summit County to conduct a detailed needs assessment. The 2023 Early Childcare and Education Survey received more than 700 responses, and the data revealed that childcare was not only unaffordable but also hard to find. Some results from the survey included that only 5% respondents found it easy to locate care, and 66% spent more than 10% of their income on childcare.

Park City launched a needs-based scholarship program that provides direct financial assistance to working families. As a collaboration between Park City Municipal, Summit County, and the childcare company Upwards, the initiative's primary goal was to cap childcare costs for local families at no more than 10% of their income. The scholarships are granted to eligible families who live or work in the area and have a household income below 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI). This approach not only helps parents afford care but also supports local childcare providers and businesses, making the community a more viable place for families to live and work.

~6-12 months