Child Care

At Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, we provide engaging environments where children can learn and grow. To meet the diverse needs of our community, we offer two distinct pathways for care: Licensed Child Care Programs and Drop-In Child Care.

Licensed Child Care Programs
Our licensed programs, including preschool, before- and after-school care, and summer day camps, offer structured, enrichment-based environments for your child. These programs are held at select recreation centers — Kearns, Magna, Millcreek Activity, and Northwest Community. They are licensed by the State of Utah and undergo annual inspections to ensure we meet the highest standards for safety and quality.

Please Note: The licensed child care programs are scheduled to conclude on May 31, 2026. We are dedicated to providing consistent, high-quality care to our families through this transition period.

Drop-In Child Care
For parents and guardians looking for flexible, short-term care while utilizing our facilities, we offer drop-in child care. This service is not affected by the May 2026 closures and will continue to operate as usual at its current locations.

Our Commitment to Safety
Regardless of the program or location, the safety of your children is our top priority. We maintain rigorous standards across all our facilities:

Thorough Vetting: We conduct comprehensive background checks on all group leaders and volunteers.
Professional Training: Our employees complete 20+ hours of annual training on essential topics, including positive guidance and injury prevention.

Child Care Closure FAQs

Licensed child care programs operated by Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation will continue through May 31, 2026. The closure will be in effect June 1, 2026.

There were 271 enrolled families at the time of the closure decision in October 2025. 17% of these families receive child care assistance/subsidy from the Department of Workforce Services.

17 full-time/merit and 76 temporary employees.

For full-time staff, there are county policies in place to account for their positions, and county HR will work with them to find placement within the county wherever possible. While temporary staff employment is tied to program funding, we will also be working with our temporary staff to see if there are open positions that meet their skills.

Beyond contact information, we do not collect demographic information per center.

Millcreek Activity Center is leased by the County from the Granite School District, and they are responsible for future use of the building. The other three buildings are owned by Salt Lake County and use of areas where childcare is currently being provided is to be determined.

Yes, starting January 1, 2026, licensed child care fees increased by 20%.

The best opportunity for public comment is to contact Salt Lake County Council members by phone, email, or in-person. There are also public comment sections at weekly County Council meetings.

Council