United Way’s Brighter Futures Childcare Initiative surpassed original targets, creating 272 new licensed childcare spaces, new countywide parent and provider data, an emergency childcare action plan, $100K+ in family childcare scholarships, and ongoing childcare provider business training and support.
Santa Barbara, CA, May 21, 2026 –United Way of Santa Barbara County has successfully completed its work as part of a $2 million contract, in partnership with First 5 Santa Barbara County and local community partners, to strengthen the county’s childcare sector.
“The ARPA funding allocated by the County of Santa Barbara’s Board of Supervisors laid the foundation for a broader countywide movement and elevated recognition of the childcare industry as an essential pillar of our workforce and local economy,” said Michelle Robertson, Deputy Director, First 5 Santa Barbara County. “First 5 Santa Barbara County appreciates United Way’s longstanding commitment to advancing childcare affordability and expanding access for families. We look forward to continuing to collaborate on systems change and improvement in the future.”
Targeted work began at United Way in January of 2023, at the request of the cities of Santa Barbara and Goleta, where United Way facilitated local need assessments for each city to gather current community data about the needs in the local childcare sector. Parents, providers, and employers reported significant challenges, including affordability and availability of care, as well as the pipeline of qualified staff, retention, and training/development. Some parents in the region reported spending up to 37% of their annual income on childcare costs alone.
Later that year, United Way and the Santa Barbara Foundation were awarded $2M in reallocated dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support the struggling childcare sector in Santa Barbara County, intended as a launchpad for sustainable, long-term growth for childcare. In the first quarter of 2026, United Way’s key deliverables were completed, including:
• over 272 in new childcare spaces
• $100K+ in direct family scholarships
• $430K+ invested in eight new or expanded childcare facilities
• new provider training and development programs
• and a formalized emergency childcare action plan for essential workers in times of crisis.
“We’ve been a part of our community’s network of care for children since our start in 1923, said Steve Ortiz, President & CEO of United Way of Santa Barbara County. “To strengthen our focus on these early developmental years through this project has been an exciting reminder of our strength as an organization in building innovative solutions for some of our community’s toughest challenges.”
According to additional United Way assessments later facilitated countywide, the broader economic impact of the sector’s financial impact was estimated at $200 million to $300 million annually. United Way will continue this work through the next phase, focused on scholarships for “missing middle” families, childcare facility grants, coalition leadership, employer engagement, provider capacity building, emergency preparedness, and childcare workforce advocacy.
The Work Ahead
With the foundation built during the ARPA achievements, United Way seeks to continue its work in the sector to sustain its accomplishments in closing the gaps for families and providers. United Way plans to continue its efforts in four key areas:
Childcare Scholarships: The Brighter Futures Childcare Fund will include support for childcare scholarships to reduce the financial burden on families. Paid directly to providers, the grants target families making too much to qualify for public assistance programs but too little to reliably sustain the high cost of care in their household budget.
The scholarship application portal reopened on Friday, May 8th for the 2026-2027 program year; qualifying families must submit applications by May 29th, 2026. The application link can be found on the United Way of Santa Barbara County website (www.unitedwaysb.org).
Facility Grant Program: and the Brighter Futures Childcare Fund will also include support facility grants that provide start-up and expansion capital to increase the availability of care for children ages zero to five. Past recipients of the fund have included the LEAP Lompoc Children’s Center, Hope 4 Kids, UC Santa Barbara’s Early Childhood Care & Education Services, and the new Guadalupe Early Learning Center.
Employer Engagement: United Way will also continue to leverage its partnerships with local businesses and workforce organizations to better position childcare as a workforce priority and build momentum around employer-supported childcare solutions and family-friendly workplace policies.
Brighter Futures Childcare Coalition: this cross-sector collaborative will continue to provide targeted working groups, provider training and technical assistance, emergency preparedness support, and advocacy efforts aimed at stabilizing and elevating the childcare workforce.
United Way recently hosted members of the coalition on Tuesday, April 28th at the Goleta Community Center to hear from Anna Brouillette, Policy & Program Director of Building Bright Futures, and Erin Roche, Vermont Director of First Children’s Finance. Both representatives were engaged in Vermont’s Act 76, a 2023 law that established a long-term, sustainable approach to funding childcare as essential economic infrastructure. The speakers follow many that have been invited to address the Coalition, sharing lessons learned and success routes from other communities that have seen progress in childcare efforts.
“Accessible and affordable childcare is a critical infrastructure for our county,” said Rose Levy, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Advancement at United Way. “We created significant positive impact for local families, and childcare providers through the ARPA project, I look forward to building upon this work and focusing on lasting systems level change, benefiting children, parents, businesses, and childcare workers.”
Parents, providers, and employers looking for more information on the Brighter Futures Childcare Initiative are invited to connect with United Way’s Brighter Futures Childcare Manager Lisa Nelley at lnelley@unitedwaysb.org, 805-965-8591 or visit the initiative website at www.unitedwaysb.org/Childcare.
About United Way of Santa Barbara County
Since 1923, United Way of Santa Barbara County has been a key leader in local efforts to support children, families, and communities through its own unique collaborative programs and initiatives, partnership convening efforts, volunteer development, and funding. United Way’s mission is to enrich the lives of children and families and build resilient communities by leading local programs and partnerships that improve academic achievement, financial security, and community resiliency. To learn more, please visit unitedwaysb.org.
320 East Gutierrez St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 965-8591