The William & Lottie Daniel Fund Child Care Scholarship Grant (Daniel Grant), administered under the Foundation’s Child Care focus area, supports licensed nonprofit child care facilities that align with Santa Barbara Foundations’ strategic priority and broader community initiatives for child care.
Donor Name: Santa Barbara Foundation
State: California
County: Santa Barbara County (CA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/30/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Access to quality child care remains a critical challenge in the community. Many working families earn just above the income threshold for assistance yet still struggle with the high cost of care. In Santa Barbara County, where median household income varies by region, a family earning $84,356 annually may spend up to 40% of their income on child care for an infant and a preschooler. To address this, the State of California raised the income eligibility for subsidized programs from 70% to 85% of the State Median Income (SMI). The COVID-19 pandemic further heightened the demand for affordable child care, which continues to exceed available resources.
High-quality child care provides safe, nurturing environments with enriching, age-appropriate activities that support children’s development. Research shows that stable and stimulating early learning experiences significantly improve academic and life outcomes.
Grant Priorities
- For Programs serving children 0-5 years of age:
- Implement age-appropriate curriculum for kindergarten readiness
- Engage in quality improvement process, such as Santa Barbara County’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) and/or NAEYC accreditation.
- Adopt best practices for parent engagement, such as the Family Standard in accreditation and/or the Five Protective Factors Framework.
- Use standardized child development assessment or screening tools, such as Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) or the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile.
- For Programs serving school-age children (grades TK-6):
- Include curriculum elements that enhance language arts literacy and math proficiency.
- Demonstrate participation in quality improvement processes, such as Child and Youth Development Program Accreditation.
- Align with student achievement goals set by local school district.
Funding Information
The maximum grant award is $50,000.
Grant Period
The grant period is up to one year from the award date.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit or use a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. Applications that do not contain a valid EIN (Tax ID) number will not be considered.
- Licensed nonprofit child care programs open year-round and serving children 0-5 years of age and school-age children (grades TK-6), with priority given to organizations serving ages 0-5.
- Eligibility for Families selected to receive scholarships:
- Reside in Santa Barbara County.
- Be working parent(s)/guardian(s).
- Have a child care program with an agency adopted sliding fee scale.
- Contribute a portion of tuition costs for child care.
- Have a child enrolled in the program full-time.
For more information, visit Santa Barbara Foundation.
