2025 William & Lottie Daniel Fund Child Care Scholarship Grant

The 2025 William & Lottie Daniel Fund Child Care Scholarship Grant, administered through the Santa Barbara Foundation, provides support to licensed nonprofit child care facilities aligned with the Foundation's child care strategic priorities. This initiative falls under the Foundation’s Child Care focus area and addresses the urgent local need for affordable, high-quality child care, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Santa Barbara County families often face high child care costs that consume a significant portion of household income, prompting state-level adjustments to subsidy eligibility and reinforcing the need for localized support efforts like this grant. This funding opportunity is intended for licensed nonprofit programs that serve children ages 0-5 and school-age children through grade 6, with prioritization given to services for the 0-5 age group. Programs must operate year-round with minimal closures and accommodate working families. Grants are specifically aimed at subsidizing child care tuition for eligible families who reside in Santa Barbara County, have a child enrolled full-time, and meet income criteria that place them above traditional subsidy thresholds but still struggle with costs. Families must contribute toward the cost of care based on a sliding fee scale implemented by the provider. The Foundation’s grant priorities emphasize quality improvement and curriculum alignment. For early childhood programs, this includes implementation of age-appropriate, kindergarten-readiness curriculum, involvement in quality rating systems like QRIS or NAEYC accreditation, and use of development screening tools such as DRDP. For school-age programs, priorities include curriculum aligned with language and math goals and participation in quality assurance programs. All programs must also demonstrate financial sustainability and serve economically disadvantaged families. The maximum grant award is $50,000, and the funding period extends up to one year from the award date. Final reports are due within 13 months via the SmartSimple grants platform. Only organizations holding valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit status—or using a qualified fiscal sponsor—are eligible to apply. They must also be fully licensed by the State of California, comply with facility regulations, and employ appropriately qualified staff. Key dates include a grant application deadline of April 30, 2025, virtual office hours by appointment on April 15 and 16, and award notifications expected in mid-June 2025. Applications are submitted through the Santa Barbara Foundation’s SmartSimple platform, where organizations must first register and create a profile to access application materials. For questions about the appropriateness of a proposal, applicants should contact Beatriz Garcia, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives, at 805-880-9382 or BGarcia@sbfoundation.org. For technical issues or to set up appointments, Erika Schultz, Senior Administrative Assistant, is available at 805-880-9394 or ESchultz@sbfoundation.org.