Utah, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 31% (130,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% FPL (2022). This number represents a decrease from 35% (159,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% FPL than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Declining
Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox signed a series of bills making up the state budget for fiscal 2025, which provides $29.4 billion in total funds, an increase of $634.6 million, or 2.2 percent, over the revised fiscal 2024 budget. The budget provides $12.9 billion in general fund, income tax fund, and uniform school fund (GF/ITF/USF) spending, a decrease of $727.5 million, or 5.3 percent, compared to the revised fiscal 2024 budget. This decrease is largely due to the elimination of one-time fiscal 2024 appropriations. General fund and income tax fund revenues are estimated at $11.6 billion in fiscal 2025, an increase of 1.2 percent over the revised fiscal 2024 forecast while overall resources (including reserves and transfers) total $12.9 billion in fiscal 2025. Looking at reserves, total projected fiscal 2024 balances of $1.2 billion represent about 8.7 percent of combined fiscal 2024 general, income tax, and uniform school fund appropriations.3
Key Revenue Sources (excluding federal transfers):4
Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls.
State Budget Rules:4
Utah uses an annual budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. Utah also limits spending growth with a budget rule based on the state’s growth in population, personal income, and inflation. The rule is binding and requires a legislative supermajority or vote of the people to override it. Utah also limits total authorized debt and debt service incurred by the state.
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During the 2024 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Republican.4
Types of Ballot Measures Available:5 Four
Key State Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:6
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:7
During the 2024 legislative session, advocates passed HB 461, which makes child care workers eligible for child care subsidies regardless of income, inspired by Kentucky’s successful initiative. By providing subsidies, this legislation helps child care owners cover the costs of offering child care benefits and allows staff to retain more of their earnings. Although the implementation of the bill is contingent on federal funding approval, we are optimistic that the Office of Child Care could begin its rollout as early as January 2025.
SB220 improves the state’s School Readiness Program. Created in 2014, the program’s purpose is to improve school readiness for targeted low-income students. It has been amended several times, creating administrative burdens and onerous work for grantees that needed to be streamlined. SB220 will allow the School Readiness Program to run more efficiently and focus on improving academic performance for at-risk preschoolers in Utah.
HB 153 proved to be a mixed bag for child care, but advocates were successful in ensuring the bill expands the minimal state child tax credit to include 4-year-olds (originally only children 1-3 were eligible). This expansion will extend the credit to 0.4% more families, benefiting 1.1% more children, with an average annual tax savings of $456 per eligible family.
For more information, click on this 2024 Session Summary.
The Alliance’s key allies in Utah are Voices for Utah Children and Promise Partnership Utah. Voices is a non-profit, non-partisan policy analysis and advocacy organization, which has been working for decades to advance the wellbeing of all children in Utah. Voices conducts data and policy analysis to assess the best public policy solutions to support positive outcomes for kids and their families. Voices also engages in vigorous advocacy for the adoption of data-driven policies that help children across the state. Promise Partnership Utah provides backbone support through the Promise Partnership, a cross-sector partnership working to ensure every child in Utah has the opportunity to succeed in school and life. The Partnership focuses on creating lasting social change by addressing systemic challenges, scaling practices that work, and leveraging its influence to create alignment and political will.
They are working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
K-3 Education
Pre-School and Pre-K
Early Intervention
Maternal Health
Infant & Child Health
Family Economic Security
Data Systems
Click here and here for more information on advocates’ policy agenda.
The Utah Full-Day Kindergarten Now! Coalition of more than 50 organizations is joining with Utah families to celebrate the passage of a full-day kindergarten option across the state. A bill passed by the legislature and signed by the governor provides greater access to optional full-day kindergarten in Utah by funding the program the same way grades 1 through 12 are funded.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, March 2023, NCCP analysis of ACS 1-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2021.
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024.
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.
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© 2024 Alliance for Early Success
The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.
