“Across California, the demand for publicly funded child care far exceeds the supply. In 2024, only 16% of children eligible for publicly funded child care were enrolled. While state spending for publicly funded child care still falls short of the need, access to child care has improved over time, largely due to the expansion of subsidized child care spaces beginning in 2021. Since 2021, increases in child care enrollment have varied across counties, with Santa Barbara County seeing one of the largest gains in the state. Specifically, in 2024, 23% of Santa Barbara County’s children eligible for publicly funded child care were enrolled, an increase from 13% in 2022.”
Read the full report at calbudgetcenter.org.
Read United Way of Santa Barbara County’s ARPA Childcare Report (2025).
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