kutv.com · September 8, 2026
900 Utah families to lose child care assistance after federal funding cuts
# 900 Utah families to lose child care assistance after federal funding cuts
by Cristina Flores, KUTV
Tue, September 8, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Updated Tue, September 8, 2026 at 6:49 PM
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About 900 Utah families will lose their child care subsidies beginning Oct. 1 after a $21 million cut in federal funding to the state’s child care assistance program. (Photo: KUTV)
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — About 900 Utah families will lose their child care subsidies beginning Oct. 1 after a $21 million cut in federal funding to the state’s child care assistance program.
This could force many parents to leave the workforce if they are left without other options.
Utah's child care assistance program is funded entirely with federal dollars and receives no state funding for subsidies. Because of the federal reduction, the state lowered the income eligibility limits required to qualify for assistance. Some families who currently receive subsidies will no longer qualify.
Until now, families in the program could earn up to 85% of the state median income to qualify for assistance. Under the changes, the income limit will be 65% for currently enrolled families and 50% for new applicants.
Mallory Adams, spokesperson for the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said the majority of families — about 90% — who currently receive subsidies will remain in the program, though some could see their benefits reduced depending on their income.
The state is in the process of notifying affected families. The 900 families will not lose their subsidies all at once; changes will take effect during their next annual review.
At Brighter Steps Childcare in Magna, Azteca Valerio-Bedolla said financial assistance has allowed her and her husband, who both work two jobs, to keep their daughters, ages 3 and 4, in child care. Paying out of pocket would cost more than rent, she said.
The new income requirements mean they will lose their subsidy Oct. 1. Valerio-Bedolla said she will be forced to quit her job to stay home with her children.
The young mother is devastated because working, while knowing her children are in a safe place, has boosted her mental health.
"It's not fair, it's not ethical, I don't want to tell them," she said tearfully about breaking the news to her children, who love their teachers at Brighter Steps.
Christina Robles, owner of Brighter Steps Childcare, said the funding cuts could have a ripple effect on providers as well as families.
"I won't be able to sustain this for two months, and I'm not the only one," Robles said.
Robles said about 95% of the families served at her centers are low-income households in Magna, Kearns and Taylorsville that depend on child care assistance.
"Working-class families right now, even with two incomes, can't make ends meet with the economy the way it is, and child care only complicates that," she said.
Robles said it's time for Utah to invest state dollars in children by subsidizing child care. Losing the $21 million in assistance means families, child care providers and the Utah economy will suffer.
"You are going to kick out an entire portion of the workforce by not having affordable child care, and most likely that would be women," she said.
For now, the state offers no other financial relief to families who will lose their subsidies. When asked whether Utah could provide state funding to offset the federal cuts, Adams said that decision rests with lawmakers.
Valerio-Bedolla hopes state leaders will reconsider their approach to child care.
"You talk all this talk about families coming first. Your words mean one thing, your actions speak another. I don't think families come first," she said.