Nearly Two Thirds Of Daycares Could Close By 2024

(Salt Lake City) — Utah’s early childhood education system could be in danger of sweeping shutdowns as early as next year. A report from advocacy group Voices for Utah Children shows as many as two-thirds of the state’s daycares could close once funds from the American Rescue Plan start to dry up in 2024. Utah’s licensed childcare capacity is already in a state of crisis; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports 77 percent of the state’s population lives in a child care desert. The advocacy group’s report calls for greater investment in early education, including higher wages for Utah’s childcare professionals, who are among the lowest-paid anywhere in the country.