Park City Municipal and Upwards, a child-care network, have announced a partnership to expand child-care access and affordability for families living and working in Park City.
The Childcare Needs-Based Scholarship Program will provide financial assistance to qualified families to help with the cost of child care.
“Child care has been a priority for the council as we have seen challenges arise around access and affordability,” said Mayor Nann Worel. “I am excited to see this program help alleviate this growing need. A huge thank you goes out to our community members for their guidance and the Childcare Working Group and the Park City Community Foundation for their diligence in making sure this is a well-crafted program and serves the community equitably and efficiently.”
The initiative comes after working families in Park City reported that child-care issues, such as affordability and availability, have negatively impacted their lives and employment, officials said. The program will feature three products to help local families:
- Needs-Based Childcare Tuition Scholarship for children up to kindergarten age.
- Infant & Toddler Childcare Tuition Scholarship, which addresses the needs of children from infants to 3 years of age.
- Regulated Childcare Providers Incentive to help support qualified caregivers.
“We are proud of our partnership with Park City that embodies Upwards’ mission to make care accessible to all families and empower the caregivers who provide it. Upwards’ technology and our team’s expertise will be instrumental in streamlining waitlist management, providing timely family support, and ensuring prompt provider compensation, contributing to a thriving child-care ecosystem that drives positive economic impact, ” said Jessa Santangelo, vie president of business development and community impact at Upwards.
Scholarships and child-care provider assistance will be available on a first-come, first-served basis each month starting Jan. 1, 2024, and will be distributed directly to regulated child-care providers by Upwards, officials said.
For program details and to sign up go to upwards.com/childcare-assistance and download the app.