SALT LAKE CITY — After months of uncertainty for families, Salt Lake County leaders say they’re working on a new plan for childcare at four facilities that were set to close.
Back in November, the Salt Lake County Council announced it would shut down county-run childcare programs at Kearns, Northwest, Magna, and Millcreek facilities. Last year, officials said the centers would close by the end of May.
For parents like Rebecca Carvajal, the news at the time felt overwhelming. “It’s very nerve-wracking to think that you need to juggle your job and your kids and there’s not any viable solution,” Carvajal, who lives in West Valley said.
Now, county leaders say they’re exploring a new option. They plan to bring in nonprofit providers to run childcare programs in those same spaces. The plan would prioritize low-income families, though it’s still being worked out.
Last year, an audit showed the county was subsidizing between $6,000 and $10,000 per child each year, regardless of income, according to Councilmember Aimee Winder Newton.
“The county council unanimously supports utilizing rec centers to provide childcare space with no cost to property taxpayers. Whether it’s leasing space to non-profit providers or creating summer programming with reasonable tuition, we’ve found ways we can support families,” Winder Newton said in a statement sent to FOX 13 News on Wednesday.
She added that the County will run summer programming for kids ages 5-12 at some of the recreation centers around the county. Tuition is $141 per week, and no property taxes will be used for the program, she said.
Jefferson Curtis, whose son attends the child-care program at the Northwest Multi-Purpose Center, says he had just been laid off when he first learned about the closures last year. “The prospect of trying to find affordable childcare while searching for work and making sure my kids are properly prepped for school has been stressful,” Curtis said. "These past several months have been extremely challenging."
Curtis says he’s optimistic but has concerns. “Lower-income families absolutely need help, but there are plenty of people in other segments of the working class that also need assistance,” he explained.
Carvajal says the shift in direction gives her some hope. “I feel like they want to make this work, and they don’t want to just leave us hanging, which is how I felt before,” she said.
