Definition

Child care numbers of facilities.

Numerator

The number of licensed and license exempt child care facilities in the state, as reported by the Utah Department of Health, Child Care Licensing Program.

Denominator

N/A

Why Is This Important?

From the [https://jobs.utah.gov/edo/intergenerational/igp18.pdf Utah's Seventh Annual Report on Intergenerational Poverty, Welfare Dependency and the Use of Public Assistance 2018]: "Of similar importance to preschool enrollment, access to high-quality child care is essential to the safety and healthy development of children, particularly for the school readiness of low-income children. Increasingly, research in early childhood development is influencing policy and emphasizing that high-quality child care is part of the early learning system, expanding its role beyond providing a healthy and safe environment for young children, sometimes in care for as much as ten hours per day. Moreover, child care is a critical work support for parents, allowing them to maintain employment while their children are cared for in safe and nurturing environments. In fact, 51 percent of Utah children under six years old live in families where there is a child care need."^1^[[br]] [[br]] ---- 1. U.S. Census Bureau. American Fact Finder. GCT2302--Percent of children under six years old with all parents in the labor force, American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.

How Are We Doing?

Utah has 386 licensed child care centers, and 883 in-home licensed child care providers. The total number of child slots in centers is 37,422. The total number of child slots in in-home care is 11,166. (Oct. 2021 data)

Available Services

The Child Care Licensing Program offers Child Care Facilities File Checks to assist parents in the decision-making process when choosing a child care facility. Our website, [http://childcarelicensing.utah.gov/ childcarelicensing.utah.gov] has great child care information for parents, providers and the public in general. Child Care Licensing also offers free training for child care providers. Training dates and topics are also available at [http://childcarelicensing.utah.gov/ childcarelicensing.utah.gov].

Data Notes

__Center Child Care__: state licensed facilities caring for children 0-12 years of age on a regular schedule.   [[br]] __Hourly Centers__: state licensed facilities caring for children 0-12 years of age on an hourly basis[[br]] __Out of School Time Programs__: state licensed facilities caring for school age children (5 years and older) before or after school[[br]] __Licensed Family__: state licensed home facilities caring for up to 16 children 0-12 years of age on a regular schedule[[br]] __Residential Certificate__: state certified home facilities caring for up to 8 children 0-12 years of age on a regular schedule[[br]] __Exempt Centers__: centers exempt from regulation caring for children 0-12 years of age on a regular schedule[[br]] __Exempt Drop-in Child Care__: centers exempt from regulation caring for children 0-12 years of age not on a regular schedule; parent in close proximity[[br]] __Exempt Homes__: mostly a relative, friend, or neighbor caring for no more than 4 children, exempt from licensing rules, but following basic state regulations

Data Source

Child Care Licensing, Office of Licensing, Utah Department of Health and Human Services