1 HUMAN SERVICES
STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
3:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M.
130 Cremona Drive, Suite B
Goleta, California
Councilmember Kyle Richards
Councilmember Stuart Kasdin
Robert Nisbet, City Manager
Jaime A. Valdez, Assistant City Manager
Shannon Kirn, Assistant to the City Manager
JoAnne Plummer, Director of Neighborhood Services
Cassidy Le Air, Senior Management Analyst
Melissa Cure, Management Assistant
Public Participation
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AGENDA
I. Public Comment
II. FY 2024-25 Childcare Initiative
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: July 17, 2024
TO: Human Services Standing Committee
FROM: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
Shannon Kirn, Assistant to the City Manager
SUBJECT: Item II. FY 2024-25 Childcare Initiative
RECOMMENDATION:
Discuss the Fiscal Year 2024-25 childcare initiative and provide direction to staff on how to use Fiscal Year 2024-25 funds allocated for childcare initiatives.
BACKGROUND:
On May 28, 2024, the City Council approved grant agreements for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023- 24 childcare initiatives with United Way and Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV). At this meeting, Council expressed a desire for the Human Services Committee to determine the best use of the next fiscal year’s funding for childcare initiatives early in the fiscal year.
Council also expressed their desire to continuing working with both United Way and WEV in additional to another organization for Fiscal Year 2024-25. Children’s Resource and Referral (CRR) was suggested as an additional partner.
On June 18, 2024, as part of the adopted Mid-cycle Budget, the City Council allocated $250,000 in FY 2024-25 for childcare initiatives to the City Managers Professional Services account.
Regional Snapshot of Goleta Childcare
City Planning staff recently participated in regional childcare land use study sessions to help inform the Childcare Facility Needs Assessment (Assessment) conducted by CRR and Santa Barabra Foundation (SBF). CRR and SBF shared some preliminary data with staff for Goleta and the full Assessment will be presented to the County Board of Supervisors later this year. This Assessment will provide a clearer understanding of the need for childcare facility development and expansion, especially for infants and toddlers.
The preliminary data collected on Goleta included a total of 1357 licensed childcare spaces including both Large and Small Family Childcare (FCC) and Center-based providers (150 FCC spaces and 1320 Center-based spaces). It was also reported that six (6) Center-based and two (2) FCC providers were interested in increasing their current Meeting Date: July 17, 2024
number of licensed spaces in the next five (5) years if support and funding were available.
This Assessment will give insight into the current conditions of childcare facilities and opportunities for increasing capacities in Goleta. See Figure 1. below for the Goleta Regional Snapshot from the Assessment. The full Assessment will be released soon.
Figure 1. Goleta Regional Snapshot
Meeting Date: July 17, 2024
DISCUSSION:
This fiscal year’s funding for childcare initiatives can be used to partner with CRR, SBF, United Way, and WEV. By combining efforts with these four nonprofit organizations, the City can make a meaningful impact on the childcare sector in the community. Staff recommend granting an equal portion of the FY 2024-25 childcare initiative funding, including funding already given in FY 2023-24, to each nonprofit as detailed below in Table 1. Each agency brings unique strengths targeting different aspects of the childcare system challenges. CRR would target existing providers and increasing high-quality licensed spots; SBF would provide scholarships for existing programs to working families in Goleta; United Way would continue strengthening the childcare sector through their Brighter Futures Childcare Fund, and WEV would continue their business training and financial assistance to childcare entrepreneurs. Equal funding allows them to collaborate effectively and address the diverse needs of childcare in Goleta. Additional details on each program/organization can be found below.
Table 1. Fiscal Year 2024-25 Childcare Initiative Funding Allocation Program Organization
FY 23-24
Grant
Amount
Proposed FY
24-25 Grant
Amount
William and Lottie Daniel
Childcare Scholarship Fund
Santa Barbara
Foundation
N/A $75,000
Steps to
Licensing/Expanding
Quality Care
Children’s
Resource &
Referral
N/A $75,000
Brighter Futures Childcare
Fund
United Way $3,800 $71,200
Business of Care Pilot
Program
Women’s Economic
Ventures
$46,200 $28,800
TOTAL $50,000 $250,000
Children’s Resource & Referral
CRR plays a crucial role in supporting childcare services by managing subsidy programs, connecting parents with childcare options, and providing high-quality professional development. CRR has several programs to directly support expansion and new development of childcare facilities, specifically for infant-toddler spaces. CRR provides technical assistance and grants based on the number of infants and toddlers to be served to operators who are increasing the number of spaces in their programs. Providing funding for CRR will enhance their ability to support local childcare providers, ensuring that families in Goleta have access to high-quality, affordable childcare options and comprehensive resources. Staff would work with CRR to establish a program for Goleta providers to expand their businesses and increase their licenses to create more highquality infant and toddler childcare spaces.
Meeting Date: July 17, 2024
Santa Barbara Foundation
The SBF has provided childcare scholarships for working families through the William and Lottie Daniel Childcare Scholarship Fund (Scholarship Fund), investing in childcare to support the Santa Barbara County workforce. The Scholarship Fund makes childcare scholarships available to nonprofit organizations that provide quality childcare for working families. Providing funding for SBF will enable them to continue their vital childcare initiatives, directly benefiting existing childcare programs and families in Goleta. In FY 2022-23, SBF received funding through the City Grant Program for City of Goleta Childcare Scholarships totaling $7,100 and partnered with LEAP (formerly IVYP) to distribute the funding. Staff would work with SBF to create a similar focus area scholarship specifically for the Goleta residents and workforce.
United Way
Continuing to leverage United Way’s Brighter Futures Childcare Fund (Fund) and their childcare initiatives can further enhance accessibility, affordability, and quality of childcare services creating a more cohesive robust childcare infrastructure in Goleta. The current grant agreement with United Way provides funding for strengthening the childcare sector through business technical training for owners/directors of childcare programs. Staff would amend the current grant agreement to add the additional allocated funds for FY 2024-25. The Committee could also provide direction to expand the scope of the agreement to include one or more of the other three focus areas of the Fund including:
• Provide scholarships for parents in the “missing middle” who make too much for government subsidized programs but too little to afford the average local cost of childcare.
• Increase the supply of childcare spaces through the support of start-up costs for businesses launching an employer sponsored childcare program. • Provide technical assistance to employers needing support in the start-up or expansion of infant-toddler spaces.
WEV
Continuing the Business of Care Pilot Program with WEV supports aspiring and existing childcare entrepreneurs with the necessary training and financial assistance to foster economic growth and stability within the Goleta childcare sector. Staff recommend one of the following options to continue the partnership with WEV in FY 2024-25: 1) The FY 2024-25 funding for WEV could be added to the current grant agreement to allow for larger participant stipends to be available out at the end of the program; or 2) The Committee could wait until after the Business of Care Pilot Program is complete and the outcomes are known in December 2024, at which time the Committee could then determine the best next steps on how the remaining funding could be used in the Spring of 2025.
Alternatives
The Committee could choose to change the funding amounts allocated in Table 1 or not fund one or more of the four agencies.