Vision Statement
Mission Statement
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First 5
Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara Office
  • 1 East Anapamu Street, Suite 200
  • Santa Barbara, CA 93101
  • Phone: 805.884.8085
  • FAX: 805.564.8586

Santa Maria Office
  • 218 West Carmen Lane, Suite 111
  • Santa Maria, CA 93458
  • Phone: 805.739.8740
  • FAX: 805.739.8747

Vision Statement

First 5 Santa Barbara County envisions a future where all children in Santa Barbara County will live and thrive in safe, supportive, nurturing, and loving environments; enter school as healthy, active learners; develop resilience; and achieve their potential.

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About Us

First 5 Santa Barbara County Children and Families Commission is a public organization created with the passage of Proposition 10 in 1998, which added a 50 cent tax on tobacco products. Revenues from the tax are distributed to counties based on the number of babies born in the county and can be used for health care, child care and programs that support expectant parents and families of children prenatal through age 5.

What We Do

First 5 Santa Barbara County distributes the revenues from Proposition 10 and provides leadership in the community to increase support for young children and families.

How We Work

First 5 Santa Barbara County is led by a Commission appointed by the County Board of Supervisors. The staff oversees all grants awarded and provides ongoing assistance to First 5 sponsored initiatives. First 5's Office of Early Care and Education provides programming for and support to the early care community, including the CARES and PFA state-wide initiatives.

The Office also provides early care and education information, expertise, and resources for the community-at-large.

The Advisory Board, Contract Support Committee, Evaluation Committee, Community Outreach & Education Committee and various ad hoc committees, with representation from across the county, are actively involved in First 5 programs and projects.

Our Community Initiatives

We award the majority of our funds to partnerships that fit within one of our core initiatives. These include: Newborn Home Visiting, Early Childhood Oral Health, Early Childhood Mental Health & Other Special Needs, Family Support, School Readiness and Early Care & Education.

We are also active partners in three state-wide Initiatives. The Children's Health Initiative aims to provide universal health care coverage to all children. The Universal Preschool Initiative has the goal of providing preschool opportunities to all children. The CARES (Comprehensive Approaches to Raising Education Standards) Initiative provides stipends for early care and education professionals who continue their professional growth.

Our Grants

First 5 awards the following types of grants: multi-year grants for initiatives, one-year grants for new or emerging needs and one-year grants for early care and education providers to improve the quality of their programs.

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Proposition 10 in Santa Barbara County

The First 5 Santa Barbara County, Children and Families Commission was established in February 1999 to plan and oversee the estimated $5.5 million in Proposition 10 funds that come into the county each year. The 13-member Commission (9 commissioners and 4 alternates) works closely with an Advisory Board, families, local community based organizations, public agencies and the community-at-large to set local priorities that support the optimal development of Santa Barbara County 's young children.

The Commission serves as a grant-maker responsible for allocating Proposition 10 resources in Santa Barbara County . It has also established its role as:

• A community partner working with existing public and private organizations for the benefit of children;
• A catalyst to promote community support for young children and families;
• A convener and facilitator to bring together individuals and agencies with common goals

The Commission is locally focused on the children and families of Santa Barbara County and an active partner with the State and other County Commissions on issues and areas of common concern.