Boost Family Affordability

In 2026, The Policy Project will pursued a series of policies to make Utah an even better place to have and raise kids.

See Our Wins

The Problem

Utah has been known as one of the best places to raise a family—but for many, that promise feels increasingly out of reach. Rising costs and limited options mean parents are facing impossible choices like delaying having kids, leaving careers, taking on second jobs, or working when they’d rather stay home with children.

  • 43% of working parents would prefer one parent to be home (source).

  • 74% of Utah parents with children under six say they need two incomes just to cover household expenses (source).

  • Utah’s birth rate has fallen from 2.65 births per family in 2007 to 1.8 in 2023 (source).

  • Many Utah families, especially single parents, spend more than 30% of their income on child care (source).

  • Infant care in particular is 78% more expensive than college tuition (source).

  • $25,288 is the average annual cost of care for two children in center-based care, and $19,500 is the average annual cost of care for two children in residential-based care (source).

  • 75% of Utahns live in a “child care desert,” where there isn’t enough child care to serve the working population (source).

  • Utah loses $1.36 billion annually in economic opportunity due to parentʼs experiencing disruptions to childcare (source).

Stories from across the state.

  • Rebecca, Sandy

    “I always wanted to be a mom. I simply can’t afford to have kids. Even with insurance, the cost of giving birth is more than we can manage. And after that, daycare alone would cost us between $1,200 and $2,800 a month—basically a second mortgage. We don’t have help from parents or extended family, so every cost and responsibility falls entirely on us. We didn’t choose to be child-free—we were priced out of parenthood.”

  • Nate, Richfield

    “When my husband and I welcomed our first baby, we were shocked to learn there were no available childcare spots in our rural county—the waitlist was over a year long. I put my career on hold, even though we needed the second income.”

  • Sofia, Ogden

    “I work full-time as a teacher, but finding childcare that fits my schedule is a constant juggling act. I rely on relatives and friends to cover gaps, coordinate multiple pickups and drop-offs, and adjust my work around everyone else’s availability. It’s exhausting, and I constantly feel like I’m failing both at work and at home.”

  • Lindsay, West Jordan

    “I always dreamed of staying home with my kids when they were little, but financially, it’s just not possible. My entire paycheck goes toward daycare, yet quitting isn’t an option because we need health insurance and can’t afford to lose my income. It feels like we’re trapped in a system that doesn’t work for families.”

What We Accomplished Together

Families need real choices. We took that case to the Utah State Capitol in the 2026. Here's where things landed:

HB190 Child Care
Business Tax Credit

Sponsors: Rep Jason Thompson & Sen Heidi Balderree

Objective: Offer tax incentives to encourage Utah employers to support their employees with child care costs

Funding Ask: $2.9M ongoing

Outcome: Passed & fully funded

Bill Language
Legislative One-pager
Research Brief
Policy Rollout Plan

HB 290 Child Tax
Credit Amendments

Sponsors: Rep Tracy Miller
& Sen Lincoln Fillmore

Objective: Expand access to Utah’s Child Tax Credit

Funding Ask: $7.1M ongoing

Outcome: Passed & fully funded

Bill Language
Legislative One-pager
Research Brief

HB329 State Employee
Maternity Leave Amendments

Sponsors: Rep Ariel Defay
& Sen Michael McKell

Outcome: Passed with amendments — expands leave from 6 to 9 weeks, includes coverage for adoption & foster care, protects pumping breast milk in public spaces

Funding Ask: No funding needed after amendments

Bill Language
Legislative One-pager
Maternity Leave Research Brief
Pumping Research Brief

SB214 Home-Based Child Care Solutions

Sponsors: Sen Luz Escamilla
& Rep Tiara Auxier

Objective: Create a grant pool to launch home-based providers, increase max # children for unlicensed providers from 8 to 10, require registration for providers caring for 4 to 10 children

Funding Ask: $2.5M one-time

Outcome: Did NOT pass

Bill Language
Legislative One-pager
Research Brief

The Case for Investing in Utah Families

While high housing and other expenses contribute to Utah’s rising cost of living, supporting families through these targeted policy solutions are levers we can pull today to make a tangible difference for families.

The Projected Impact

117,300

families with more financial flexibility through improving tax credit access (HB290)

110,000

working parents supported by increased child care access (HB190)

21 more days

of maternity leave for state employees (HB329)

  • Families gain flexibility to raise children at home, cover essentials, save for the future, and strengthen financial stability.

  • Communities thrive as more parents can participate in the workforce or care for their children without impossible trade-offs.

  • Children can receive high-quality care during their critical early years, supporting healthy social, emotional, and cognitive development.

  • Mothers get more time with their newborns, building stronger bonds and healthier starts for both.

A better Utah for families.

Boost Family Affordability

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Boost Family Affordability —

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