Federal childcare subsidy cuts affect Utah families. How one organization is stepping up

SALT LAKE CITY — Federal cuts to childcare subsidies are affecting families in Utah, and Neighborhood House of Salt Lake is raising money to fill in the gaps left by those cuts.

The program has been around for decades and provides affordable childcare, adult daycare and other community services.

Executive director Jennifer Nuttal says their mission is to provide affordable care to families in need.

"We're centered around helping families that are working hard to make ends meet, and may not be in super flexible jobs, to be able to afford childcare," Nuttal said. "Because then they can continue to work and work up the economic ladder, and at the same time we're making sure we never compromise affordability for quality."

She says that childcare, as an industry, is already in crisis. But families in need are not the only ones affected.

"The cuts that they're doing at the federal level are affecting the entire childcare landscape; it's hurting everyone," she said.

So they're asking the community to help them fundraise $75,000 by Giving Tuesday — funds that Nuttal said will go toward bridging the financial gap for families who used to qualify for government subsidies, but can no longer do so after federal cuts.

"With us, if somebody is on state childcare, they're not paying for their childcare because we don't charge the subsidy, but when that goes away, that leaves a gap in our funding that we no longer have," she explained. "At this point, not only is it difficult for us to continue to meet our mission because of these cuts, but it's hitting families in our community who are seeing that that is being taken away from them."

So they've decided to turn to the community.

She says although the average cost for preschool in Utah is $900 a month, none of their families are paying that. They're asking those who can to make up the difference.

"We're hoping everybody will see — if you do have a little and you're not in a space where this is affecting you, if you can donate, it will absolutely go directly to filling that gap so we can provide that service and families can have the continuity of care and stay supported," she said.

Nuttal says the money donated helps support teachers, program supplies, meals and services.

The Neighborhood House not only offers preschool childcare and after school care: They offer adult daycare, a food pantry, mental health services through a partnership with Project Connection and even clothing options for those who need it.

Nuttal said they are seeing an increase in families in need of help across the board.

"Right now I feel like families are getting hit and it's hit after hit after hit, this time last year they were talking about cutting snap benefits, now we see the federal government talking about de-regulating head start," she said. "All these support mechanisms that really help families are just getting hit one after another then they announced that this was happening — that's a devastating blow."

And she says those are just the policy changes directly affecting families, but family issues include more than those.

"We've got gas that's killing us with the price. We've got food that's rising. All those essential needs and then this too? It's like another thing on top of it right before the holidays," she said. "How do we expect families to succeed if we're not providing those supports for them?"

Neighborhood House serves roughly 300 families per year, but Nuttal says this issue is not just about them.

"Childcare is in crisis mode. If we want to keep our economy going and if we want to be successful as a community, we really need to think about this as a community issue, not that family's issue or a mother's issue," she said. "Quality childcare that's reliable and dependable is a community issue."

Contributing: Paige Zamora, KSL