SALT LAKE CITY — Facing mounting public backlash, the Salt Lake County Council has voted to postpone the closure of four county-run child care centers until May 31, 2026, giving parents more time to find alternative arrangements. The move marks a partial reversal after the council’s Republican majority initially voted to shut down the facilities by the end of 2025.
In a special meeting Monday, the council voted 5–3 along party lines to extend funding for the centers through May while instituting a 20% tuition increase starting in January. The centers — located in Magna, Kearns, Millcreek, and Salt Lake City’s Fairpark neighborhood — currently serve more than 270 families during the school year.
Council Responds to Public Pressure
The reversal comes one week after dozens of parents attended a council meeting, urging officials to reconsider the abrupt closures. Many families said they had already scrambled to find new care options after the October 28 vote that signaled the centers’ termination.
“I believe it’s really important to give these families additional time to find child care,” said Aimee Winder Newton, a Republican council member and senior adviser to Governor Spencer Cox. “It makes sense to keep the programs running through the end of the school year.”
Republican council chair Dea Theodore said the closures were motivated by cost-cutting efforts amid a proposed 20% countywide tax increase. “This situation reflects administrative failures that allowed it to get to this point,” she said.
Democrats Object to the Process
Democratic council members criticized the handling of the closures, calling the delay insufficient. Council member Suzanne Harrison said she voted against the extension in protest. “The county hasn’t gone through a good process to find fiscally sustainable solutions,” she said.
Natalie Pinkney, another Democrat, added that her “no” vote reflected opposition to what she viewed as a temporary fix rather than a real solution. “This still ends with the loss of affordable care,” she said.
Financial Strain and Staffing Concerns
County data shows families currently pay about $460 per month for children ages 2–4 and $290 per month for those ages 5–12 — roughly half the cost of private day care. But the Pathway Group, a consulting firm hired by the county, found that low tuition rates and high operating costs required the county to subsidize more than $7,000 per family annually.
To prevent staff turnover during the transition, the council also unanimously voted to develop an employee retention incentive program to keep centers fully staffed through May.
Parents Call Delay “Too Little, Too Late”
For many families, the extension brings little comfort. Megan Harthun, a Kearns resident and mother of two, said she had already paid deposits for a new day care after learning of the closures. “There’s not a single family I’ve talked to that wants things to stay the same,” she said. “The anger is over how this was handled — there were easy solutions that no one fixed two years ago.”
Harthun said her family even changed school districts to ensure access to the county’s child care program. Losing it, she said, would have forced her husband to quit his job.
What Comes Next
The council’s final decision on the fate of the day care centers will come next month during the 2026 county budget vote. Meanwhile, new closure notices reflecting the May 31 date are being sent to affected families.
County Mayor Jenny Wilson said she hopes for a longer-term fix. “Salt Lake County has a history of offering affordable, accessible programs for children and families,” Wilson said in a statement. “We should have taken the time to make these child care programs viable for the long term.”
Republican council members Laurie Stringham and Carlos Moreno said they are exploring ways for the county to accept private donations to help families transition to new care providers.
For updates on the council’s final budget decisions, visit the Salt Lake County official website.
