From Jayden Davis, Community Engagement Manager
What: During the 2026 Utah Legislative Session, The Policy Project will pursue a series of policies that will ensure Utah remains a great place to raise the next generation.
Interviews: By request, contact Jayden Davis (480) 670-0072, [email protected]
The Policy Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that uses thoughtful policy and the power of community to do good, is launching its 2026 legislative initiative to boost family affordability and make Utah an even better place to have and raise children.
The organization has a strong track record of bipartisan support and statewide impact. Its past legislative efforts have provided period products in every Utah school, built Teen Resource Centers in 86 high schools, expanded child sexual abuse prevention education for K-6 students, limited distracting cell phone use in classrooms, and increased access to free school meals.
Why focus on families? Utah has long been recognized as one of the best states to raise a family—but for many, that promise is slipping away. Rising costs and limited options require many parents to make impossible choices like delaying having children, leaving careers, taking on multiple jobs, or working when they’d rather stay home. Key data highlight the growing strain on Utah families:
- Many Utah families, especially single parents, spend more than 30% of their income on child care. [SOURCE]
- 43% of working parents would prefer one parent to stay home. [SOURCE]
- 74% of Utah parents with children under six say they need two incomes to cover household expenses. [SOURCE]
- Utah’s birth rate has fallen from 2.65 births per family in 2007 to 1.8 in 2023. [SOURCE]
- Infant care costs are 78% higher than college tuition. [SOURCE]
- $25,288 is the average annual cost for two children in center-based care, and $19,500 for residential-based care. [SOURCE]
- 75% of Utahns live in a “child care desert,” where there isn’t enough child care to serve the working population. [SOURCE]
- Utah loses $1.36 billion annually due to parent disruptions from lack of child care. [SOURCE]
“I always wanted to be a mom. I simply can’t afford to have kids. Even with insurance, the cost of giving birth is more than we can manage,” said a community member from Sandy, Utah. “And after that, daycare alone would cost us between $1,200 and $2,800 a month—basically a second mortgage. We didn’t choose to be child-free—we were priced out of parenthood.”
Parents should have the resources and flexibility to choose what’s best for their families—whether that means staying home during the early years, working part-time, or pursuing a full-time career. During the 2026 Utah Legislative Session, The Policy Project will seek to:
- Boost financial flexibility for parents by increasing awareness and filing assistance for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) and expanding income eligibility for the CTC.
- Increase access to affordable, high-quality child care by removing local barriers for home-based providers, facilitating employer incentives for child care partnerships, and providing startup grants for new home-based care providers.
- Support new mothers by extending maternity leave for state employees to 12 weeks and enhancing protections for breastfeeding and pumping at work.
“Passing family-friendly policies ensures Utah remains a great place to raise a family, where families can thrive without making impossible trade-offs,” said Emily Bell McCormick, Founder and President of The Policy Project. “When we invest in families, we invest in the future of our communities, our economy, and our state.”
These policy solutions could create 10,000 new home-based child care slots, give 117,300 families greater financial flexibility through tax credits, and support 110,000 working parents with improved access to child care at work. They could also ensure children receive quality early care, support mothers in the critical first months, and give parents the flexibility to balance family care, work, and finances—making raising a family in Utah not just possible, but sustainable.
“Family is at the heart of everything we do in Utah—and we want to ensure our state is the very best place in the nation to have and raise a family,” said Governor Spencer Cox. “I am grateful for so many partners who are working on these issues, including The Policy Project. They bring together communities and experts to find practical solutions that invest in our families and our future.”
For more information or to get involved, visit thepolicyproject.org/
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About The Policy Project
The Policy Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that acts as a policy accelerator to do real good for real people. The Policy Project develops thoughtful policy solutions to drive systemic change and engage community members to foster cultural change—taking both a top-down and bottom-up approach to improve the lives of children and families in every corner of Utah.
In just a few short years, this approach has delivered lasting impact. Through thoughtful policy and the power of community, The Policy Project’s legislative initiatives have provided period products in every Utah school, built Teen Resource Centers in 86 high schools to help vulnerable students graduate and thrive, expanded child sexual abuse prevention education to K-6 students, limited distracting cell phone use in classrooms, and expanded access to free school meals.
And they’re just getting started. The next chapter will focus on bold policy solutions to expand access to housing and other critical supports for families across Utah—and beyond.