Summit County, Park City Municipal and Upwards, a leading childcare network, announced the expansion of the Childcare Needs-Based Scholarship Program. This new chapter broadens the program's geographical reach, to all those who live and work throughout Summit County, addressing the vital need for accessible quality childcare in the Wasatch Back.
“Summit County Council is proud to support this initiative to improve access to vital childcare services for our residents and workforce,” Summit County Council member Canice Harte said. “This collaboration is an important foundation to address this vital need in our communities.”
Since launching, the Park City Program has assisted 34 working families and supported 17 childcare providers in Park City, providing much-needed financial assistance to working families and stabilizing local childcare providers.
“Strong partnerships allow us to address our pressing needs, like ensuring that families have access to affordable, quality childcare,” said Park City Mayor Nann Worel. “Thank you to Summit County and the Park City Community Foundation's Early Childhood Alliance. Together we can build a more inclusive and supportive environment for working families throughout our community.”
The Summit County Program offers the following benefits, mirroring the pilot Park City initiative:
- Needs-Based Childcare Tuition Scholarships: This program provides financial assistance to families with children up to kindergarten eligibility age. To qualify, at least one parent must reside or work within Summit County, and the total family income cannot exceed 100% of the Summit County Area Median Income (AMI).
- Regulated Childcare Provider Incentive: This incentive program supports qualified caregivers who provide care for children enrolled in the DWS Childcare Assistance program in Summit County.
Full eligibility criteria are available at
https://upwards.com/childcare-assistance/summit-county. Summit County scholarships and childcare provider incentives will be available on a first-come, first-served basis each month beginning now, in June 2024, and will be distributed directly to regulated childcare providers by Upwards.
“Expanding the Childcare Scholarship Program to Summit County reflects a powerful community effort to address local childcare challenges for families,” Starr Mastrodonato, Program Manager at Upwards said. “Upwards is excited to build on Park City's initial success and contribute our technology and expertise to support more families and empower childcare providers across the region. We believe this collaboration has the potential to strengthen the childcare ecosystem in Summit County, creating a more stable workforce and positively impacting the local economy.”