Child Care

The Critical Lack of Affordable, Accessible Quality Care

Ask any working parent and a top concern is finding and affording good quality child care. While there are subsidized programs for low-income families, those programs have only about half the spaces needed. Working families who do not qualify for subsidized care find that child care costs can be prohibitively expensive. For all parents there is a serious lack of care available for infants and toddlers. So whether the problem is cost, availability or indefinite time on waiting lists, the lack of accessible and affordable quality child care is a major roadblock for parents in the workforce.

Further, quality early child development can make an immense impact on a child’s life. Children in high quality early care and education programs have stronger language skills, are more prepared to start school, and have greater social and emotional development. Yet quality child care is a necessity beyond the reach of many families.

Taking Action

As part of the Santa Barbara Foundation’s commitment to strengthening working and vulnerable families, we are engaging with our partners to address the challenges of providing quality care for our youngest residents. We are working with private and social sector childcare providers to support increased access to affordable and accessible childcare opportunities.

William and Lottie Daniel have been investing in child care for the workforce since 1997 with the Santa Barbara Foundation. The Daniel Fund makes Child Care Scholarships available to nonprofit organizations that provide quality child care for working families. Given the cost of living and shifts in the workforce in our county, we at the Santa Barbara Foundation view quality child care as a basic need for working families, along with food, shelter, and health.

Child Care Grant Program

Child Care Grant Program Objectives

1. Align 0-5 school-age child care providers to support school re-opening.
2. Maintain open or re-open family child care providers and centers to pre-COVID-19 levels.
3. Build on innovation and expansion of the child care sector in Santa Barbara County to meet the growing needs.

If you are interested in contributing to these solutions, we welcome your partnership and appreciate your support.

SBF Investments in Action in Child Care

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