OUR PURPOSE

The Utah Full-Day Kindergarten Now! Coalition has been a joint project of several community organizations and associations. The Coalition was activated with the support and involvement of staff from the Utah State Board of Education, as well as administrators and educators working in Utah's Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Our purpose is to advocate for full state funding for optional full-day kindergarten programs that serve all interested and willing families. 

Since 2019, core members of our Coalition have been: 

• Researching kindergarten policies, practices and access in Utah and other states; 

• Reviewing kindergarten performance metrics at both the state and local levels; 

• Meeting with district and charter school leaders to gather insight and input; 

• Lobbying to increase kindergarten funding via the Optional Enhanced Kindergarten program, as well as through new funding explicitly for the expansion of optional FDK programs statewide;

• Gauging support for optional FDK expansion among parents, teachers and the general public; and

• Getting the word out about the limited and inequitable optional FDK access in Utah. 

OUR VISION

We believe that every family in Utah should have the choice and opportunity to enroll their kindergarteners in an optional full-day program. FDK is an effective, time-tested early education intervention for our children and a cost-saving public investment in the future of our state. 

Every school district and charter school should be able to offer the appropriate blend of programming to meet the needs of the families in their communities. Kindergarten options for Utah families should not be decided solely by the local funding available in different communities. 

COALITION CORE PARTNERSHIP

This website was developed and is maintained by the following Coalition Core Partners: United Way of Salt Lake, Utah PTA and Voices for Utah Children. 

If you have questions or inquiries regarding content found on this site, please email us at UtahFDKCoalition@gmail.com.

The undersigned entities share the belief that every family in Utah should have the choice and opportunity to enroll their kindergarteners in an optional full-day program. This Coalition supports legislation that guarantees enough funding, within three years, to support optional full-day kindergarten for all families who wish to participate.  

State investment in early childhood education, including optional full-day kindergarten, is important to the success and wellbeing of Utah families, as well as of our state's current and future economic stability.