Park City Municipal is one of 16 cities nationwide selected to participate in the National League of Cities’ Prenatal-to-Three Impact Lab, a nine-month technical assistance and peer-learning cohort that the city said is focused on improving outcomes for young children and families.  The c ity said its selection for the lab is a recognition of how the city has invested in its Childcare Scholarship Program, which the city said helps working families access affordable, high-quality childcare while supporting workforce stability and community livability.  Through the Impact Lab, Park City will receive technical assistance from National League of Cities that connects Park City staff with early childhood experts, peer networks, tailored resources and real-world examples. The city said the program focuses on addressing key contributors to poor maternal and infant outcomes, including economic insecurity, housing instability and environmental factors. Park City leaders will use the cohort to refine strategy, share best practices and strengthen local policies that support families with young children.  “This program is about making childcare more accessible for working families while supporting the providers who make it possible and bolstering our economy,” said Michelle Downard, strategic initiatives advisor at Park City Municipal. “Being selected for the Prenatal-to-Three Impact Lab gives us the opportunity to learn from other cities, refine what’s already working in Park City and strengthen a program that directly supports our workforce and community.”    Park City’s Childcare Scholarship Program aims to provide financial assistance to eligible families to help offset the cost of quality childcare. Results from the program’s first year show, the city said, that​ ​by supporting both parents and providers, the initiative helps retain workers, strengthens local businesses and increases childcare capacity in a high-cost mountain community where affordability is a growing challenge.​​  The city’s partners in the effort include Upwards​, a leading childcare network that administers the scholarship platform, as well as the Park City Community Foundation and Summit County, which has partnered with the city to help expand the program locally.  “Every child can flourish when communities invest in healthy environments, stable housing, and economic security,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and executive director of the National League of Cities. “The Prenatal-to-Three Impact Lab helps cities turn that commitment into meaningful local action.”  The other cities in the Prenatal-to-Three Impact Lab cohort:  Austin, Texas Cambridge, Massachusetts College Park, Maryland East Orange, New Jersey Henderson, Nevada  Houston LaBelle, Florida Louisville, Kentucky Madison, Wisconsin Milwaukee New Haven, Connecticut New Orleans Toledo, Ohio Tulsa, Oklahoma Vancouver, Washington  More information about Park City’s Childcare Scholarship Program is available at parkcity.gov/how-do-i/child-care-scholarship.  The post Park City joins national cohort to improve its childcare program appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less