Childcare Resources
The Orfalea Children's Center Lab School,
The Orfalea Children's Center Lab School, housed in the Family and Consumer Education Center (Building I), provides quality care for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers between three months and five years of age.
The center serves as the lab school for Early Childhood Studies students, who assist
the credentialed staff in providing an enriched learning environment designed to foster
social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth for young children.
Lab schools serve to provide enriching learning opportunities to Early Childhood Studies
students, who are aspiring educators.
The Orfalea and Lompoc Children's Center Lab School is open for:
Fall & Spring Hours Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m
Summer Hours Monday - Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
For the application and eligibility and fees information, visit the Orfalea Children's Center Lab School webpage.
Early Head Start provides services for low-income families with infants and toddlers up to age 3 and programs for pregnant women. Services include:
- Full and part-time schedules for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
- Nutritious, delicious meals and snacks
- Parenting education workshops
- Services for children with special needs and disabilities
Application for Childcare sponsorship through CommUnify.
For more information about enrollment, please call 805-922-2243.
The Children's Resource & Referral (CRR) Program seeks to support families and children of Santa Barbara County by providing education,
care and resource systems to childre, their parents, and caregivers, with special
emphasis on low income and under-represented children and families.
CRR oversees the Alternative Payment Programm (APP) which is funded by Department of Social Services. They offer financial assistance for parents
needing child care. The APP helps families arrange child care services and makes payments
for those services directly to the child care provider selected by the family. The
APP is intended to increase parental choice and accommodate the individual needs of
the family. Recipients of this program are based on income and need.
Need and Eligibility Requirements:
Need verification is a requirement for participation in any of the subsidy programs
which means that the family is income-eligible and has a documented, independent verifiable
need of Child Care services. If there is a verified need, staff will assist parents
in determining their eligibility status and the appropriate placement for their children
in any of the following programs. The parent(s) shall document total countable income
for all the individuals counted in the family size.
United Way of Santa Barbara County has launched Brighter Futures Childcare Scholarships. This scholarship program is designed to help close the financial gaps for middle income families struggling to afford the cost of childcare for children ages 0-5. We are excited to share this childcare benefit with you in the hopes that you can push this information out to your staffs, families, members, and others. This is an opportunity for middle-income families to reduce their childcare costs and we are asking for your help in spreading the word about this opportunity.
All providers in the following list are community members who are licensed. Allan Hancock College is only displaying their services available, but is not responsible in coordinating the child care service.