Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Davis County day care reports increased need due to government shutdown impacts.
- Owner Chelsea Dalton notes unexpected families struggling with food and child care.
- Nonprofit arm seeks donations to support affected families amid rising demand.
KAYSVILLE — As congressional leaders voted Wednesday on a funding bill to end the government shutdown, a day care center said the need it was seeing among families it served was only growing by the day.
"Right now is the worst that we've ever seen," said Chelsea Dalton, owner of Time For Families, Davis County.
Dalton said families — particularly those who are low-income or considered at high-risk — will use government subsidies to help pay for child care, while using SNAP benefits and EBT to cover food.
She told KSL-TV those families were understandably struggling amid the government shutdown that put SNAP benefits on hold. But she also said families she wasn't expecting were struggling as well.
"This is the first time where it's affected such a mass amount of people, and, like I said, families that you wouldn't expect it to affect — you know, mom and dad both are at home, mom and dad both have good jobs," Dalton said. "All of a sudden, they're going, 'I don't know what I'm going to do,' 'I have no food,' 'I have no way to get food because I'm not getting paid,' 'I have no options.'"
According to the child care center, which also offers preschool, 43% of its families were currently without food, and the organization had seen a 29% increase in need.
"We've done the best we can with what resources we have," Dalton said.
Dalton said the organization's nonprofit arm was in the process of seeking donations to help families, either in person at Time For Families physical location at 440 N. Kays Drive in Kaysville, or through the nonprofit's website.
She said workers wanted to help when kids' and parents' needs are felt the most.
"That's why the teachers are here, that's why my office staff is here," Dalton said. "We're here to support the kids and the families."
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