• Results of a childcare needs assessment in Summit County
  
• Exciting news about Summit Bike Share
  
• Fire safety and prevention information 
  

Childcare Needs Assessment 

At this week’s County Council meeting, the results of a childcare needs assessment conducted here in Summit County were presented. Some key findings from the report, which has been in the works since August of 2022, included: 

• Working Families Need Childcare. The majority of working families in Summit County rely on someone outside of themselves or their spouse/partner/co-parent to provide childcare and over 80% of survey respondents in the report said that childcare issues had affected their employment, such as causing them to reduce hours at work or decline/not seek promotions.  
  
• Current Summit County Childcare Capacity Is Insufficient. The current capacity of licensed childcare centers is not sufficient to meet demand and waitlists are extremely high, particularly for infants. In fact, according to the report, Summit County lacks 1,133 spaces to meet the estimated demand.
  
• Childcare is Unaffordable for Many Families. Based on survey results, the majority of parents with children aged five or younger in Summit County are paying more than 10% of their income on childcare and most families do not receive any kind of financial support to cover the costs of childcare.
  
• Losing Federal Pandemic Support Will Further Decrease Access and Increase Costs.  Federal funds provided the Summit County childcare industry with an investment of over two and a half million dollars in calendar year 2022 alone. In Summit County, 40% of childcare provider survey respondents reported that their program would be closed now without the stabilization payments and all of the recipients used the stabilization payments to increase wages for their employees. Loss of the stabilization grants will only exacerbate historically inadequate compensation causing a workforce shortage in the early childcare industry.
  
• Lack Of Access to High-Quality Early Care and Education Harms the Community At Large. Investing in high-quality, affordable childcare and early childhood education in coordination with parental support and health programs helps: (1) closes the achievement gap, (2) assists local employers in attracting and retaining their workforce, (3) strengthens school districts, (4) breaks the cycle of poverty, and (5) maximizes our collective return on investment.
  

If you’re interested in learning more, you can read the report in full at bit.ly/2023childcareneeds. Ultimately, the Council was interested in creating a working group that would include representatives from local and state government, the business community, and nonprofits, to come up with a plan to meet the demand now and in the future. An ideal plan that would include: where the money comes from? Who implements the services? What impact will the services create? And so on.  The Council was wary of making a monetary investment as a band aid solution to the childcare gap and was cautious in their roles as stewards of public monies. However, they are unanimously supportive of exploring long-term solutions. From here, more conversations will be had on this topic and we’ll be sure to keep our listeners informed as it continues to progress. 

Summit Bike Share 

Ok moving on to some very exciting news! Summit Bike Share is BACK for the season starting this weekend – Fourth of July weekend! 

The team at Summit Bike share has been working hard this week to get stations ready to go and bikes back out on the streets, and the system is expected to be fully operational in the next few days. Stay the most up-to-date by following Summit Bike Share on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can find those links in our show notes. 

As a reminder, Summit Bike Share offers a fun & easy transportation option for locals and visitors to explore all Park City has to offer. Going for a ride is simple – the electric-assist bikes act like a regular bike and don’t have any complicated gears or buttons to learn. Just start pedaling and the bike will provide an extra boost to get you moving without breaking a sweat!

Learn more at summitbikeshare.com or by downloading the official Summit Bike Share mobile app available in the apple store and google play. 

Fireworks / Fire Sense 

And, finally, as we head into the weekend, we wanted to take some time to talk about some fire safety and prevention tips from our friends at Utah Fire Info. 

Up first, while fireworks are not banned this year in Summit County, caution with fireworks is strongly advised. Keep a fire extinguisher and water nearby when lighting any fireworks this weekend. Being smart with your fireworks this year could prevent up to 6% of Utah’s human-caused fires. 

If you plan on spending this weekend camping with friends and family, remember that being careful with your campfires this summer could help prevent 28% of Utah’s human-caused fires. Never leave your fire unattended and make sure your fire is completely out before walking away from it – you should be able to feel coolness with your hand to know it’s fully out! In addition, please only start fires in an approved pit or on clear ground, paying attention to local fire restrictions. 

Up next, did you know safe shooting behavior can help prevent almost 4% of Utah’s human-caused wildfires? If you’re shooting this weekend, be sure to aim away from dry grass and rock. Placing your target away from rock backstops can help prevent ricochets and sparks and please remember that exploding targets tracer rounds are never allowed on public lands or in national parks. 

And, finally, remember to think about your vehicle as something that has the potential to cause a fire. Be sure to secure your trailer chains to make sure they don’t drag and avoid parking a hot car or recreation vehicle on dry grass. Tractors, off-roading vehicles, and other equipment must have spark arrestors and be sure to keep your trailers or RV’s properly maintained, especially their tire pressure. Practicing these quick tips could help prevent 24% of Utah’s human-caused wildfires.