LEAP Childcare receives critical funding grant from Women's Fund of Santa Barbara- KSBY-TV-5/15/2024

LEAP is one of the few state-subsidized, child-care programs for low-income families in the Goleta Valley. The center provides 134 children with year-round, full-day, trauma-informed child care that emphasizes social-emotional development. A play-based, bilingual curriculum prepares young learners for success in elementary school. Children also receive nutritious, culturally appropriate meals and snacks prepared onsite. Expenses at the center have risen, but the state reimbursement rate for child care has not kept pace, so the center faces a temporary funding gap of $120,000 in their budget. The State of California is renegotiating reimbursement rates which are expected to rise in 2025. A grant from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara pays for gap funding to cover a temporary budget shortfall of $120,000 for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. It will enable the center to continue its program without making cuts that would impact the quality and stability of care.