In 2023 the Park City Council issued a one-time allocation of $1 million to fund a new childcare scholarship program, which provides tuition subsidies to families.
The council later added $300,000 to continue the program into 2026.
The program, which has received national recognition, currently supports 137 children across 119 households.
The average monthly scholarship for Park City residents is around $740, according to a staff report.
Under existing rules, families earning 100% or more of Summit County’s area median income (AMI) cannot qualify for financial assistance.
That means a small raise for a family could potentially kick them out of the program.
A 100% AMI in Summit County for a family of four equates to around $167,000 in annual income.
At its meeting Sept. 4 the city council voiced support for several modifications to the program. They include eliminating the income threshold for residents, instead moving to calculate scholarships based on 10% of household income. Tuition subsidies will still be capped at $1,700.
The council was also in favor of establishing a sliding scale for households below 100% AMI to reduce their financial burden. For example, households below 30% AMI would contribute 3% of their total income towards child care.
Councilmember Tana Toly said the council will need to make a decision soon about funding for the program long-term.
“I think it’s super imperative for us to have the conversation about a dedicated funding source before we begin making any more adjustments to the program,” councilmember Bill Ciraco added.
Other changes could include providing tuition assistance to full-time employees of local child care providers, as part of an effort to support staff retention and recruitment. The council also discussed creating a tiered system for subsidies based on the number of children in each household.
It’s unclear when the council will revisit the discussion.
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