- First Five Santa Barbara County supports the health, early learning, and well-being of children prenatal through age five and their families.
- Learn the Signs, Act Early provides free resources to families and providers to help ensure each family has access to information to monitor their child’s development and access assistance when there are concerns.
- The Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC) is a freely available, comprehensive screening instrument for children under 5 years of age.
- Tri-Counties Regional Center Early Start Program provides early interventions services for eligible children birth to 36 months who have developmental delays.
- Zero to Three provides information and resources focused on the child’s earliest years of development.
Development
Health & Safety
- Childproofing Your Home is important! Learn tips and strategies to keep your child safe in your home and places you visit.
- Department of Health Care Services provides programs and services including Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal Dental, children, youth, and adult health, mental health, and community health.
- Infant and Toddler Nutrition provides information and practical strategies on feeding healthy foods and drinks to infants and toddlers, from birth to 24 months of age.
- Positive Parenting Tips provides information on child development, positive parenting, safety, and health at each stage of your child’s life.
Education
- Public Libraries are great, free resources for families and in addition to books, provide story times, lectures, and literacy opportunities for infants to seniors.
- Santa Barbara County Education Office oversees over 200 programs to support quality education for students, leadership, and professional development.
- State Preschool Programs Handbook was designed to assist families with understanding the requirements to participate in a State funded Center-Based program.
Social Services
- CALM (Childhood Trauma Treatment and Prevention Services) helps prevent childhood trauma, heal children and families, and build resilient communities throughout Santa Barbara County.
- CommUnify is the home to Head Start in Santa Barbara County and works to benefit all members of our community from children, youth, families, and seniors.
- Exceptional Family Member Program offered by The Vandenberg Space Force Base supports families with special medical and educational needs throughout the service member’s career.
- Family Resource Centers in Santa Barbara County work with families and help connect them to community resources to help with basic needs, parenting classes, information on immigration, and more.
- Family Service Agency works to improve the health and well-being of Santa Barbara County’s most vulnerable children, families, and seniors by ensuring access to food, shelter, and other basic needs, while also providing parent education, family support, case management, advocacy, and mental health programs.
- Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara provides safe, decent, and quality affordable housing and supportive services to eligible persons with limited incomes.
- Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara provides, manages, maintains housing units and rental payment assistance for eligible persons of extremely low income.
- Importa Santa Barbara provides immigration legal services with offices located in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara.
- Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project, or MICOP, supports, organizes, and empowers indigenous migrant communities.
- Santa Barbara County Network of Promotores understands and respects the traditional beliefs of the Latino community and helps integrate these cultural beliefs in programs and services throughout the County by engaging in community awareness, education, and social service issues.
- The Department of Social Services helps with accessing health coverage, food and cash aid, job services, child and adult protective services, and In-Home Supportive Services.
- Women, Infant, & Children, “WIC” is a program for pregnant and postpartum individuals, infants, and children for buying healthy foods, providing nutrition, and breastfeeding education and referrals to health care services.
Families with Special Needs
- Alpha Resource Center provides lifespan services to support persons with developmental disabilities and their family members.
- California Children’s Services is a state program for children 0-21 who have certain diseases or health problems.
- CAPTAIN is a multiagency network developed to support the understanding and use of evidence-based practices for individuals on the autism spectrum across California.
- Family Resource Centers Network of CA helps to improve the lives of families of children with disabilities wherever you live in California.
- Family Voices of CA is a statewide collaborative of parent-run centers working to ensure quality health care for children and youth with special health needs.
- Santa Barbara County Special Education Local Plan Area, “SELPA” can answer your questions about special education programs and resources.
- Supplemental Security Income is a program of the Social Security Administration and offers benefits to eligible children and adults with disabilities and those over age 65 without disabilities who meet financial qualifications.
- Tri-Counties Regional Center provides supports and services for children and adults with developmental disabilities living in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.
Directories
- 2-1-1 will connect you to a resource specialist for personalized assistance to help get you connected to the assistance you need.
- Children’s Resource & Referral provides help in finding childcare and family services.
- Findhelp.org is an online directory to connect you to resources in Santa Barbara County.
- YouthWell provides support to those in need of behavioral health and wellness, including a directory of resources in Santa Barbara County.