Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Utah
Utah's Child Care Assistance covers families up to 85% SMI (~$7,902/mo family of 4) with no waitlist. No state CDCC, but the refundable Utah Child Tax Credit was expanded in 2026 (HB 290) — now includes children under 6, with raised phase-out thresholds.
Data current as of May 28, 2026
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Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Utah
- Program name
- Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), including Employment Support Child Care
- Administered by
- Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS), Office of Child Care
- Income ceiling
- Up to 85% State Median Income at entry and continuing (Utah does not use a lower initial threshold than the federal cap). Family-of-four limit (effective April 1, 2026): $8,335 per month ($100,020/year).
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding scale, typically 0–7% of household income, tiered by family size and income. Some low-income families pay $0. Families may also owe the difference between the subsidy rate and the provider's full tuition. The federal 2024 Final Rule caps the family fee at 7% of family income.
- Waitlist status
- No typical waitlist — Utah does not maintain a formal CCAP waitlist — every eligible applicant enrolls. Only about 14% of the 81,000+ income-eligible children actually receive assistance, however; the gap is outreach/enrollment, not funding-capped queuing. Activity requirement: average of 15+ hours per week at minimum wage, or in school / training / approved DWS activity.
- Apply
- mycase.utah.gov/
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Maximum eligibility ceiling (annual, 85% SMI) |
|---|---|
| 2 | $68,016 |
| 3 | $84,012 |
| 4 | $100,020 |
| 5 | $116,016 |
| 6 | $132,024 |
| 7 | $135,024 |
| 8 | $138,024 |
- Maximum eligibility ceiling (annual, 85% SMI): Upper bound of Income Group 16 from Utah DWS Table 4, effective April 1, 2026, annualized (×12). Represents 85% of Utah State Median Income. Utah uses this ceiling for both initial application and redetermination — no lower entry threshold is applied.
Utah DWS Child Care Assistance Program — Table 4: Child Care Income Eligibility and Co-Payment, effective April 1, 2026 (jobs.utah.gov/Infosource). The table organizes income into numbered groups; Group 16 is the top income bracket representing the 85% State Median Income ceiling. The maximum monthly income to qualify is the upper bound of the Group 16 range for each family size; all values here are annualized (×12). Cross-check: F2–F8 upper bounds follow LIHEAP household-size adjustment ratios (68/84/100/116/132/135/138% of F4) exactly — e.g., F2 $68,016 ÷ F4 $100,020 = 0.680 ✓; F3 $84,012 ÷ F4 $100,020 = 0.840 ✓ — confirming 85% SMI as the basis. No family-of-1 row is published. Table 4 also publishes sizes 9–12+ for larger households. Effective April 1, 2026; check the state portal for the latest figures.
State pre-K in Utah
- Program name
- UPSTART (home-based digital) and High Quality School Readiness (HQSR) classroom grants
- Administered by
- Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (UPSTART)
- Access
- Limited / pilot
- Eligibility
- UPSTART: 4-year-olds, priority to low-income and rural; capped enrollment. HQSR: competitive grants to schools and licensed providers serving economically disadvantaged students with risk factors (mother under 18, low parent literacy, substance exposure) or English Learners.
- Coverage
- Among the lowest in the country for classroom pre-K seats (NIEER bottom tier). UPSTART partially compensates with home-based digital kindergarten-readiness curriculum, but is not a classroom seat.
State tax credits & extras in Utah
- State CDCC
- Utah does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Utah does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. The federal CDCC (claimed on IRS Form 2441) is the only income-tax-based child care credit Utah families can use. See the Utah Child Tax Credit below for refundable parent-side relief.
Other state programs and credits
- Utah Child Tax Credit — refundable, expanded by HB 290 (2026)Refundable state credit. HB 290 (signed 2026) raised the income phase-out thresholds to $30,500 (MFS), $49,000 (single / head of household), and $61,000 (joint), and extended eligibility to children under age 6 starting tax year 2025 (filed in 2026).
Where to apply or get help in Utah
- Find a licensed daycare in UtahChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Utah child care portaljobs.utah.gov/customereducation/services/childcare/
- Eligibility screenermydoorway.utah.gov/child-care-assistance/
- Combined benefits applicationmycase.utah.gov/
- Utah 211 (dial 2-1-1)211utah.org/
- Apply for CCAP via MyCasemycase.utah.gov/
- DWS Doorway — Child Care Assistancemydoorway.utah.gov/child-care-assistance/
- Care About Childcare — referrals and QRIScareaboutchildcare.utah.gov/
- UPSTART (digital home preschool)business.utah.gov/upstart/
- Federal childcare.gov — Utah resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/utah
Find a daycare in Utah
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Utah's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Utah daycaresSources
- Utah DWS Table 4 — Child Care Income Eligibility and Co-Payment (effective April 1, 2026) (2026)
- Utah Office of Child Care — Customer Education
- Utah DWS Child Care Assistance Doorway
- UPSTART — Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity
- Utah HB 290 (2026) — Child Tax Credit expansion (2026)
- Federal childcare.gov — Utah resources
Every state layers its own program on top of a federal floor — CCDF (the federal block grant), Head Start, the federal DCFSA (employer pre-tax benefit), and the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit. See the federal overview for what the floor looks like before any state adds.