The City of Goleta Child Care Grant Program is designed to strengthen the child care sector and support the workforce that serves Goleta’s youngest residents.
Donor Name: City of Goleta
State: California
City: Goleta
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/30/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
This grant program is made possible through Measure B, City of Goleta’s one-cent sales tax, approved by voters in 2022. This local revenue supports essential community services, including public safety, infrastructure, and initiatives that enhance the quality of life for Goleta residents. A portion of this funding has been dedicated to child care programs, reflecting the City’s commitment to accessible, affordable childcare and its importance to Goleta’s economic and social well-being.
Focus Areas
Proposals should address one or more of the following areas:
- Child Care Workforce Pathway & Skill Development
- Expand the pool of qualified child care professionals in Goleta, particularly infant and toddler educators.
- Strategies may include:
- Coaching and mentoring programs.
- Increasing the number of staff seeking infant/toddler qualifications.
- Collaboration with child care organizations, such as SBCEO Child Care Planning Council and Children’s Resource and Referral of SBC.
- Supportive Organizational Business Models
- Strengthen organizational capacity through professional development and sustainability efforts.
- Strategies may include:
- Leadership development for child care center directors.
- Technical assistance in navigating facility grants, lease agreements, and facility design.
- Business model development to ensure long-term sustainability of providers.
- Family Engagement
- Building Content-Specific Leadership
- Address critical areas such as:
- Fair and equitable access to child care.
- Effective strategies for working with English Language Learners (ELLs) and children with special needs.
- Promoting systems thinking to address emerging child care needs in Goleta.
- Address critical areas such as:
Priorities
Priority will be given to organizations that:
- Increase the number of qualified child care professionals and foster ongoing professional development.
- Develop or strengthen organizational models that improve recruitment and retention of the child care workforce.
- Advance child health, nutrition, and social-emotional development through inclusive, language-rich learning environments.
- Implement or plan to adopt best practices in family engagement.
- Participate in or plan to join the Santa Barbara County’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) and/or NAEYC Accreditation.
- Align with community-wide child development goals, including collaboration with organizations like CAPC and the Child Care Planning Council.
Funding Information
The maximum award for Goleta Child Care Grants is $15,000.
Grant Period
The grant period is up to one year from the award date.
Eligibility Criteria
- Organizations must be certified as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or use a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3) tax status. Applications that do not contain a valid EIN (tax ID) number will not be considered.
- The foundation accepts applications from public entities such as schools, universities, and libraries through an affiliate or supporting 501(c)(3) organization.
- An agency acting as the fiscal sponsor on behalf of a community collaborative may be eligible to submit proposals on behalf of its own agency needs as well as the needs of the collaborative.
- The child care provider receiving funding must be fully licensed by the State of California to provide childcare for the age groups it is serving and be in full compliance with the applicable codes governing childcare facilities.
- If the applicant is not a child care provider, the organization must be providing a direct service either on behalf of a child care provider to the children or families of the provider or be providing professional development or a training activity to staff of the provider.
Grant Limitations
Child Care grants are not for:
- Child care scholarships;
- General operating support;
- Services and programs that are not providing services for early care and education;
- Reimbursement for activities/purchases that occurred prior to the grant award date.
For more information, visit City of Goleta.
