We, the undersigned Utah residents and community members, call on Governor Spencer Cox and Utah state leaders to take immediate action to protect access to affordable, reliable child care for Utah’s working families.

Beginning October 1, 2026, changes to Utah’s Child Care Subsidy Program will begin taking effect that reduce eligibility for new applicants and families at annual review and reduce subsidy payments for thousands of children receiving part-time and school-age care.

We recognize that reductions in federal child care funding have contributed to the difficult decisions facing Utah. We also recognize the need for a financially sustainable Child Care Subsidy Program.

However, Utah families, child care providers, employers, and communities should not be required to absorb these reductions before available funding and policy alternatives have been fully explored.

We respectfully call on Governor Cox and Utah state leaders to:

1. Act before October 1st. Use every available executive, administrative, and legislative pathway to identify bridge or stopgap funding that can prevent or reduce the need for the scheduled child care subsidy reductions.

2. Suspend harmful reductions if sufficient funding has not been secured. Do not phase families and providers into reductions in eligibility or subsidy payments while viable funding and policy alternatives remain unexplored.

3. Conduct an immediate, transparent funding review. Examine available state resources, appropriations, uncommitted or legally redirectable funds, and other funding mechanisms that could help stabilize Utah’s Child Care Subsidy Program.

4. Develop a sustainable long-term child care funding strategy that protects family access to affordable child care, strengthens provider stability, supports workforce participation, and reduces the risk of Utah families facing another abrupt child care funding crisis.

5. Include Utah families, child care providers, employers, and community stakeholders in decisions about child care funding and subsidy policies that directly affect their families, businesses, and communities.

Child care is essential infrastructure for Utah’s workforce and economy.

We are not asking Utah to ignore the loss of federal funding. We are asking Utah to determine what can be done before working families and the child care programs they depend on are required to absorb the consequences.

Utah still has an opportunity to act.

We ask Governor Cox and Utah state leaders to work across agencies and branches of government to identify immediate funding solutions, prevent unnecessary disruption to families and providers, and build a sustainable long-term child care funding strategy for Utah.

Strong families. Strong communities. Strong economy.

Protect Utah Child Care.