As we head into the 2026 general session, United Way of Salt Lake remains committed to advancing policies that support strong public education, healthy children and families, and economic mobility for all Utahns. This session brings both exciting opportunities to build upon recent progress and critical challenges that require our collective advocacy. We are focused on procuring transformative investments in community-based solutions, protecting essential programs that families depend on, and addressing the child care crisis that impacts working families statewide. Here are the priorities we’ll be championing this year.
Community-Based Economic Mobility Partnerships Grant Program
Community transformation happens when we bring together the right partners, resources, and strategies to address local needs. That’s the power of community-based work—investing deeply in local communities to create comprehensive support systems so kids and families can thrive.
Last year, we partnered with Sen. Lincoln Fillmore to secure funding for a study by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute exploring successful community-based initiatives in Utah and across the country. The findings, released in early October, demonstrate how targeted, collaborative approaches can transform entire neighborhoods and create lasting pathways out of poverty.
This session, we’re working with Sen. Fillmore to introduce the REACH Act—Raising Expectations through Accountability, Community, and Hope—to establish a grant program to fund community-based work across Utah. This would provide the resources needed to achieve measurable outcomes like 100% high school graduation rates in communities with community-based partnerships, creating proof points for statewide transformation.
We hosted roundtables in communities across the state to build support for this innovative approach, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. The REACH Act is an opportunity to invest in comprehensive solutions that help Utah kids and families thrive.
Literacy: Building on Success
One area where we’re seeing renewed momentum is literacy. United Way of Salt Lake has been instrumental in passing previous literacy-focused legislation that improved outcomes for students across Utah, and more needs to be done. This year, literacy is once again taking center stage at the state level, with specific attention from legislators and funding included in Governor Cox’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027.
This renewed focus offers an opportunity to build on the foundation we established and ensures every child has the literacy skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. We’re encouraged by the sustained commitment to this critical area and will continue working to ensure resources reach the students and communities that need them most. We also believe that significant gains in literacy proficiency are only possible when we align and collaborate across sectors. Community-based partnership initiatives provide the support that students, schools, and communities need to meet our state goals in literacy.
211 Utah
For decades, 211 Utah has helped thousands of Utahns access vital social services and resources. Operated by United Ways of Utah, 211 Utah helps people navigate an extensive database of over 10,000 resources and 3,000 organizations. Whether someone accesses help through our website at 211utah.org, mobile app, online chat, or by calling to speak with our compassionate, highly-trained Service Navigators, we’re there when families need us most.
We’ve learned that simply providing information isn’t enough. Over the past several years, 211 Utah has evolved to offer comprehensive service navigation—following up and walking alongside people to ensure they receive the help they’re seeking. This hands-on approach makes all the difference. When Service Navigators develop deeper, longer-lasting relationships with people and help them overcome barriers to accessing care, we see significantly better outcomes.
As Utah continues to grow, the demand for these navigation services has increased exponentially. During the recent federal government shutdown, 211 Utah handled over 25,700 interactions from Utahns in need. To sustain and expand this critical work statewide, we are seeking $1.35 million in ongoing state support this session. Sen. Todd Weiler has submitted a request for appropriation to support this vital investment so 211 Utah can continue connecting Utahns to the services and resources they need.
Child Care Access and Affordability
Child care is more than a family issue—it’s an economic imperative. Access to quality child care supports today’s working families while developing a strong future workforce. Yet in Utah and nationwide, the child care market is failing both families and providers. Parents struggle to afford care while providers struggle to retain staff and keep their doors open.
The economic impact is staggering. We partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to publish “Untapped Potential in Utah,” a study that revealed our state’s economy loses $1.6 billion annually due to the lack of affordable child care. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Utah has received nearly $600 million in emergency federal funds that helped sustain the child care sector—but those funds ran out in September 2024, creating a severe funding cliff.
We expect to see a few child care bills this session, including one we pushed last year, related to child care safety standards. Sen. Luz Escamilla is again championing legislation to restore the adult-to-child ratio policies that have been loosened in recent years. These safeguards are essential to ensuring children’s safety and provide essential information for families when making child care choices. This bill is crucial for maintaining appropriate safety standards and shifting the narrative around quality child care.
These efforts support our kindergarten readiness and family financial stability goals, ensuring children have safe, developmentally appropriate places to learn and grow while their parents work with peace of mind.
Protecting Critical Programs
In addition to our proactive priorities, we remain committed to supporting programs that families depend on. Recent federal policy changes, including the passage of HR1, federal funding freezes, and various executive orders, have created new financial pressures on states and uncertainty for vital programs.
We are closely monitoring several areas where this work will be necessary:
- SNAP (Food Assistance): Federal cost-shifting means Utah will need to contribute an additional $13-19 million to administer the SNAP program, which helps thousands of Utah families put food on the table.
- Medicaid: Federal changes strengthened efforts to roll back Utah’s Medicaid expansion, which provides healthcare access to thousands of working Utahns. We’re also concerned about potential loss of important waivers, including 12-month postpartum coverage for new mothers. Utah also has a trigger law that would end expansion coverage if federal matching funds drop below 90%, and there are discussions about modifying this trigger.
- Immigrant and Refugee Integration: We’re seeing renewed pushes to eliminate or reduce access to programs that support the successful integration of immigrants and refugees.
These programs are fundamental to achieving our organizational goals and represent years of advocacy work. We will be working to ensure critical supports for Utah kids and families are not dismantled.
Advocate with Us
We hope you’ll join us on the Hill this session to advocate for policies that put families first. Whether it’s supporting transformative community-based investments, ensuring sustainable funding for 211 Utah, protecting child care safety and access, or supporting essential programs, your voice matters.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our and be sure to select “Advocate” as an area of interest on the right-hand side to stay informed about our advocacy efforts throughout the session. You can also get tickets to attend the 2026 Legislative Preview Breakfast hosted by United Ways of Utah. Come learn more about upcoming legislation, hear from state lawmakers ahead of the general sessionand learn how you can make your voice heard. to stay informed about our advocacy efforts throughout the session and learn how you can make your voice heard.
Together, we can build a stronger Utah where every child and family is thriving.
Written by the United Way of Salt Lake Policy Team
