Families with young children in our community are being stretched more than ever before. Everyone in the community has felt the rising cost of housing, food, and energy. But for any working parents seeking full-time childcare in the community, the crisis is approaching a tipping point.
When our boys, ages 2 years and 7 months, were born, my wife and I sat down to plan for their education and their future. Everyone knows college is expensive — it’s why we have tax-advantaged savings plans like 529 Plans, federally subsidized loans, scholarships, and more. Families also have time, 18 years in many cases, to prepare for this major expense. The expectation is that college is a major expense, and families need time and resources to prepare.
Enter skyrocketing early childhood education costs.
Full-time daycare in Summit County is 50% more expensive than in-state college tuition.Think about that: 50% more. And it hits families sometimes as early as six weeks into parenthood. Forget 18 years to prepare, you’re lucky to have eighteen months. It makes the idea of saving for children’s higher education feel unattainable when taking on a daycare payment that amounts to an extra mortgage per child.
Of everything facing Park City’s community, the backbreaking cost and lack of availability of childcare for families has to be among the most harmful workforce issues we face. Our town thrives when we have a diverse community working in the industries that keep Park City going.
I support the Early Childhood Alliance’s Park City Cares About Kids proposal, because I want my boys to grow up in a vibrant and inclusive town. The program will direct money to families who need it most, making it one of the smartest, most efficient workforce development policies we can make. I hope you’ll join me in supporting it.
Ryan Streams
Park City