Utah

Policy Strategies & Innovations Link copied!

Innovation Name Innovation Type Innovation Subtype Features at a Glance Strategy Summary
Utah’s Early Childhood Integrated Data System Infrastructure Systems Data Systems

Early Childhood Integrated Data System

Created in 2011, Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Early Childhood Integrated Data Systemfunctions to store and integrate data from the state’s early childhood programs, services, and systems. The system provides demographic, program, and individual data on a variety of services, including the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Baby Watch Early Intervention Program, Child Care Subsidy, Head Start - Centro de la Familia de Utah, Vital Statistics Birth Registry, Vital Statistics Death Registry, Women Infants and Children. The system is governed by the ECIDS Data Policy Committee, which consists of members that have entered into a data-sharing agreement with DHHS (e.g., The Early Childhood Data Collaborative, Utah Head Start Association, Utah State Board of Education, Office of Home Visiting, etc.). The private individual level data is matched and deidentified Master Person Indices (MPIs) and every individual is given a unique identifier. Utah ECIDS helps to identify and evaluate long-term outcomes attributed to early childhood investments. The system also provides a “community assessment tool,” which was developed in partnership with ECDataWorks to equip local leaders with demographic and program information on early childhood Eligibility, Access, Services, and Impact.

The system is funded by Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems grant, Child Care Development Funds, Kellogg Foundation through UPenn’s ECDataWorks, Heising-Simons through Child Trend’s SHINE project and Utah Department of Education.

Learn More: Utah's Early Childhood Integrated Data System

Other Sources:
Zero to Three. (2018). The Utah Early Childhood Statewide Data Integration Project.

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Demographics Link copied!

State population

3,380,800 Source U.S. Census, 2022

Rural %

10.2% Source U.S. Census, 2020

Urban %

89.8% Source U.S. Census, 2020

Number of children age 0-4

237,234 Source KIDS COUNT, 2021

Poverty levels – children 0-8 below 200% poverty

31% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021

Median family income among households with children

$93,000.00 Source KIDS COUNT, 2021

Unemployment rate

2.2% Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2022

Unemployment rate of parents

2% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021

Children under age 6 with all available parents in the labor force

54% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021

Children living in households with a high housing cost burden

22% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021

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Child population by race and ethnicity Source KIDS COUNT, 2021

Race and Ethnicity

  • American Indian and Alaska Native (1%)
  • Asian (2%)
  • Black or African American (1%)
  • Hispanic or Latino (18%)
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (1%)
  • Two or More Races (4%)
  • White, not Hispanic or Latino (73%)
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Political Landscape Link copied!

Year20232022202120202019
GovernorRRRRR
HouseRRRRR
SenateRRRRR
Source: Ballotpedia 2023

Early Childhood Education Programs Link copied!

Public pre-K program name

Expanded Student Access to High Quality School Readiness (ESA) Program Source: NIEER 2023

Public pre-K program name

UPSTART Source: NIEER 2023

Universal or targeted pre-K policy

Targeted Pre-K Policy (3- and 4-Year-Olds) Source: NIEER 2023

Universal or targeted pre-K policy

Targeted Pre-K Policy (4-Year-Olds) Source: NIEER 2023

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Percent of 3-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Early Childhood Education Programs Source: NIEER 2023

Programs

  • 3-year-old children enrolled in state-funded public pre-K (2%)
  • 3-year-old children enrolled in Head Start (5%)
  • Other/none (92%)
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Percent of 4-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Early Childhood Education Programs Source: NIEER 2023

Programs

  • 4-year-old children enrolled in state-funded public pre-K (4%)
  • 4-year-old children enrolled in Head Start (5%)
  • Other/none (91%)
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Workforce Link copied!

2017–2019 Median Hourly Wages Source CSCCE 2018, 2020

Role

  • Child care workers
  • Preschool teachers
  • Preschool or child care center directors
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Funding Sources Link copied!

Federal and State Early Childhood Education Funding (in millions) Source First Five Years Fund, 2022

Funding source

  • Head Start and Early Head Start Funding ($82.8)
  • CCDBG & Mandatory Funds ($95)
  • CCDBG State Match ($7.5)
  • CCDBG COVID Relief Allocations – CARES, CRRSE, ARPA (CCDF & Stabilization) ($573.9)
  • State-Funded Pre-K ($1.9)
  • MIECHV ($3.2)
  • IDEA Part C ($8.2)
  • IDEA Part B, Sec 619 ($5.7)
  • TANF Early Learning and Care Expenditures ($35.1)
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Funding acronyms: CCDBG: Child Care and Development Block Grant; CARES Act: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; CRRSE Act: Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations; ARPA: American Rescue Plan Act; CCDF: Child Care and Development Fund; MIECHV: Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program; IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

The COVID Funding Cliff

All federal COVID relief allocations, including funding authorized by the CARES, CRRSE, and ARPA bills, must be fully spent by September 2024. An analysis from the Century Foundation shows this loss of funds could cause more than 3 million children to lose access to child care nationwide – including more than 35,000 children in Utah.