Good government sometimes means making difficult decisions.

Last fall, the Salt Lake County Council faced one of those moments when we voted to transition away from four county-operated childcare centers and rethink how Salt Lake County supports working families.

There were passionate voices on both sides of the debate. Everyone agreed affordable childcare is essential. The real question was whether the county government should continue operating childcare centers at a significant taxpayer subsidy when many residents could never access those services.

Childcare is not a statutory responsibility of county government. Yet for years, Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation operated childcare centers out of recreation facilities in Kearns, Magna and the Millcreek and Northwest Activity Centers.

An independent analysis found the county was spending approximately $2 million in General Fund dollars each year to subsidize childcare for roughly 270 children — about $6,000 to $10,000 per child annually. A whistleblower audit also uncovered fraud at one of the centers.

Perhaps more concerning, the study found that income was never considered during enrollment. According to Parks and Recreation, only 17% of children enrolled in County-run daycare programs were receiving state childcare assistance through the Department of Workforce Services. Since income was never verified, there was no way to ensure these publicly subsidized spaces were reaching families with the greatest financial need.

After months of discussion, the Council found common ground.

Rather than continuing to operate childcare centers ourselves, we chose to partner with nonprofit organizations whose core mission is serving low-income families. The county would lease its existing childcare spaces at reduced rates in exchange for those organizations prioritizing income-qualified families.

The Council unanimously approved this new direction while also expanding affordable tuition-funded summer programming at recreation centers throughout the county.

The Council received confirmation that the transition is delivering on its promise.

Salt Lake Community Action Program will operate an Early Head Start program at the Magna Recreation Center. YouthCity now leases space at the Northwest Recreation Center, and Centro de la Familia de Utah will provide childcare services at the Millcreek Activity Center. These experienced nonprofit organizations already administer income-based programs and are equipped to verify eligibility and prioritize enrollment for families who need assistance most.

Throughout the transition, the County Council worked to minimize disruption for families. We extended the closure timeline, connected parents with state childcare resources, helped families identify alternative providers and transferred surplus childcare equipment to the nonprofit partners so they could begin serving families more quickly.

In today’s political climate, compromise is too often portrayed as weakness. But this decision demonstrates the opposite.

The Salt Lake County Council didn’t simply eliminate a program. We worked together to build a better model — one that better serves low-income families, makes more responsible use of taxpayer dollars and relies on organizations whose mission is providing childcare.

Compromise didn’t weaken the outcome. It strengthened it.

This isn’t government doing less. It’s government doing better.

Dea Theodore has served on the Salt Lake County Council since 2021 and advocates for responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, public safety and strong communities. A Sandy resident for nearly two decades, Councilmember Theodore brings a background in community service and policy leadership, with a focus on ensuring county resources are used effectively to support the needs of residents and families.

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