SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is proposing an increase of support for YouthCity programs in an effort to level the playing field for many city families by filling the childcare, educational, and social service gaps created by COVID-19. The mayor’s proposal to increase the budget of Youth and Family Services by $1.6 million would allow the program to stand up an additional location, expand hours, and add programs to meet the increased needs of the community. 

“Now more than ever the parents in our community need to be able to rely on YouthCity programming to be a dependable and safe resource for their children. We’re committed to our city’s families, and this funding can make a huge impact on our ability to serve an acute need for them during this pandemic,” Mayor Mendenhall said. “I’m incredibly proud of the work of our Youth and Family Services team to pull this proposal together and hopeful for the impact it will have on our city’s youth.”

With an increased budget the City would look to support Salt Lake City parents navigating the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and a return to school this fall through its programming, which will focus on both current student coursework as well as any academic gaps that may have arisen since the beginning of the pandemic due to limited access to technology and digital services. The city will also expand its age groups from the traditional range of 8-18 to children ages 5-18.

“Youth and Family is excited and honored to be able to provide expanded programming and sites to support Salt Lake City families during this pandemic,” Youth and Family Division Director Kim Thomas said. “We’ve implemented rigorous standards for health and safety and are happy to be able to welcome children back to YouthCity.”

To better ensure the health and safety of children participating in YouthCity, program groups will be limited to nine children, and masks and social distancing will be required. Additional health safety measures include hourly handwashing and curbside pickup of children, complete with temperature checks and a health questionnaire screening.

YouthCity will also expand its locations to adapted spaces in the city, including hosting programming in three Salt Lake City Public Library sites.

For more information about YouthCity visit https://www.slc.gov/youthandfamily/.

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