Since its launch in 2024, the Park City and Summit County needs-based childcare scholarship program has grown by 30% year over year. In 2025, 162 families and 186 children received scholarships.
The two governments created the program to help local families struggling with increased tuition and long waitlists. So far, Park City and Summit County have contributed $1.56 million to make childcare more affordable.
Jessica Chang is the executive director of Upwards, a national childcare network that manages the scholarship program. She said childcare is the linchpin of a functioning economy.
“For Park City and Summit County, 43% of our families work in hospitality. A housekeeper earning $40,000 a year faces $1,700 a month for infant care. That's half her salary. It's unsustainable,” Chang said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” April 30. “Either she quits or leaves the region, but the scholarship lets her stay.”
The program provides financial assistance to families earning at or below 100% of Area Median Income. Park City families averaged $823 in scholarships per child per month in year two, while Summit County families averaged almost $900.
Park City Community Foundation's Early Childhood Alliance absorbs all administrative costs, so 100% of public funds support families and providers.
According to survey data from Upwards, the program is helping the community in three ways: workforce retention, increased productivity and avoided turnover costs.
Of the 48 survey respondents — representing 30% of program participants — 83% said they stayed employed because they could afford childcare. Around 40% of families said they reduced work absences, 29% increased hours, 25% improved job stability and 8% earned promotions. Others were able to pursue education, self-employment and seasonal work thanks to program support.
That translates to about $2.6 million in sustained wages, Chang said, based on the average salary of parents in the program.
Chang said the scholarship program also helped childcare providers avoid almost $4 million in turnover costs.
“100% of providers in the program report being very satisfied with payment timelines and support,” she said. “In an industry that's used to late payments and bureaucratic headaches, that’s huge.”
Those numbers add up to around a $6.6 million impact, or about $4.25 for every $1 invested in the program. Chang said since the survey sample did not represent all scholarship recipients, the economic impact is likely larger.
Chang said an unexpected positive outcome of the program has been child development gains.
“We expected families to say, 'Hey, their kids were in better care.’ What surprised us was how immediate and specific the improvements were,” she said. “Parents reported kids gaining speech, motor skills, social confidence within months of consistent quality enrollment.”
The program has received national recognition. The National League of Cities selected Park City as one of 16 municipalities nationwide for its Prenatal-to-Three Impact Lab. It’s a nine-month educational cohort meant to teach cities how to improve outcomes for families.
PBS Utah also featured the initiative in June 2025.
