Construction begins on Lehi Children’s Center Utah facility, expanding youth mental health resources
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- Leaders of The Children’s Center Utah and other stakeholders pose for a photo during a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Lehi center Friday, May 9, 2025.
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- Rebecca Dutson, president and CEO of The Children’s Center Utah, gives remarks during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Lehi center Friday, May 9, 2025.
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- Ceremonial shovels are shown at the site of The Children’s Center Utah new site in Lehi on Friday, May 9, 2025.
State leaders and local organizations are making a concerted effort to address the mental health needs among Utah’s youngest age group.
According to a 2023 report by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, 41.5% of Utah youth feel sad or hopeless nearly every day and for weeks at a time.
National research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 10%-20% of Utah’s 458,000 children between the ages of 0-8 could experience mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral challenges.
Each year, The Children’s Center Utah provides thousands of hours of child and family therapy sessions.
After more than 60 years of operation, the organization is extending its unique services to Utah Valley, as construction is underway on its first expansion site in Lehi.
The nonprofit organization provides evidence-based and trauma-informed mental health care treatment solely to infants, toddlers and preschoolers as well as their families and caregivers, its website reads.
President and CEO Rebecca Dutson says the new center will aim to address the significant mental health challenges among young children in the state’s fastest growing county with vital resources for families in their time of need.
She adds that addressing mental health concerns when children are young is critical and can change the trajectory of their lives and reduce future challenges.
In 2020, the organization commissioned a study by Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. The research found Utah is among a group of states with the highest prevalence of child and adolescent mental health disorders and the highest prevalence of youth with untreated mental health needs.
Earlier this month, Gov. Spencer Cox declared May 7 as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day in Utah.
The declaration was in partnership with The Children’s Center Utah and called attention to the mental health of the youngest residents of Utah.
It also aligned with Mental Health Awareness month, observed annually each May.
“It is important to consider our children’s mental health and well-being and raise awareness of this issue in order to improve the social and cognitive development of a child,” an excerpt from the declaration reads.
The Lehi facility, which will sit on the Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, Larry H. & Gail Miller Family campus, will offer outpatient and day treatment services for children aged birth to 6, including trauma treatment, family therapy and various tools to help young children to navigate their emotions.
Dutson noted The Children’s Center Utah’s efforts to educate and train early childhood providers of all backgrounds.
“We recognize the great need in the state, and we’re trying to do everything we can to help educate and train more providers,” she said.
The Children’s Center Utah began in a nursery school in a community church in 1962 and expanded to multiple sites in Salt Lake County.
Last year, it opened a new outpatient center in West Valley City.
Services are also available virtually.
The organization also has multiple statewide programs directed toward providers supported by state funding, as well as two federally funded programs: including their Trauma Program for Young Children and an innovative Infant-Toddler Court Program.
Currently, they see approximately 1,200 children a year, and with a new location on the way, that number will likely grow.
A groundbreaking ceremony at the new Lehi site was held on May 9, where Children’s Center Utah leaders and stakeholders celebrated a milestone in advancing mental health resources for Utah’s youth.
Among those were state Sen. Heidi Balderree, who represents constituents within Lehi, Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain in Senate District 22.
She said the event wasn’t just about breaking ground on a new facility, but also building hope, healing and a bright future for Utah families.
“As someone who represents this district, I couldn’t be more thrilled,” Balderee said in a statement. “This is a community full of children and young families, and there is no better place for The Children’s Center to grow. Our county is now the second largest in Utah and is poised to become the largest in the coming years. This center could not come at a more important time.”
The Lehi facility is anticipated to open just steps away from Primary Children’s Hospital in July 2026.
Dutson said a ribbon-cutting celebration formally marking its presence in the county will follow soon after.
“It’s wonderful to be moving into a space that is dedicated to supporting the well-being of children and families, and we’re so excited to be coming,” she told the Daily Herald.
