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Letter: Help families with the cost of child care

(Francisco Kjolseth | Tribune file photo) Kids read books at the KidStart Daycare and Child Development Center in Midvale in 2017.

One of the largest struggles for poor families in Utah is the cost of child care. Currently, the average cost of child care in Utah is approximately $12,249 per year for an infant. For an older child, it is up to $18,645 a year. This cost can be discouraging for families who are already having challenges financially.

I have been able to catch a glimpse at just how hard it is for Utahns, in my experience as a child care worker for the last two years. I have been employed with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake and the Family Support Center of Iron County. Both of these facilities target at-risk children and provide low-cost child care for parents and guardians in Utah. Often times, these facilities are overcrowded and understaffed because of the high volume of children in need of care.

There are solutions to this problem, if Utah policy makers are willing to help. One of the best things they could do is support bills that allocate funds help to families in need. These funds could help provide food, transportation and other resources for families in need. As families received more support from the state, they could better afford child care costs.

Anna Wasden, Salt Lake City

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