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 CHILD, TEEN & FAMILY SERVICES
Ask Julie:
Got a question about children, teen or
family resources?
Ask Child & Family Resources
Coordinator Julie Taren, MA, MSW!
I need help paying
for my child’s early childhood / child care program and
/ or after-school program
In Santa Monica,
there are several programs to assist your family.
Each type of child care financial assistance has
different qualifications such as income level,
employment status, or residency. All phone
number area codes are (310) unless otherwise noted.
Please check with
each program to see how you may qualify or contact
Connections for Children
at 452-3325.
Santa Monica Child
Care and Family Subsidy Program
The City of Santa
Monica offers a child care subsidy program to low
and moderate-income residents of Santa Monica. The
child care subsidy program is administered by
Connections for Children
(452-3325) and priority is given to
children in need of early care and education.
Santa Monica-Malibu
Unified School District (SMMUSD) Child Development
Services
Through the
California Department of Education Child
Development Division,
SMMUSD
(399-5865) offers State Preschool
to low-income three-and four year old children.
SMMUSD also offers Head Start, a federally funded
program for very low-income families. SMMUSD
provides school age care for children from
Kindergarten – third grade (as part of the City-
District CREST Program) and several funding sources
are available through federal and state funds.
State Funded Programs: State Preschool/State Child
Development Centers:
State Preschool and
CDC is publicly funded preschool through the
California State Department of Education and is
available to low-income families for children.
State preschool is for children between the ages of
three (3) and five (5) years old. In addition to
child care and early learning programs, these
half-day sessions also offer health care and parent
training. In Santa Monica,
SMMUSD
(399-5865),
Easter Seals (434-1235),
St. Joseph Center
(392-4935) and The Children’s Place
(399-6405) offer state subsidized
preschool for low-income families.
Head Start and Early Head Start
Head Start (ages
2-1/2 to 5) and Early
Head Start (ages 0-2-1/2) are federally funded
full or part-day
programs that provide free child care other services
to help meet the health and school readiness of
eligible children. Most, but not
all families who
access Head Start or Early Head Start must have
incomes that meet federal poverty
guidelines. In
Santa Monica, SMMUSD and Delta Head Start
(295-2601) offer Head
Start programs.
Venice Family Clinic
(392-8630) offers an
Early Head Start program.
Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP)
This special
initiative in Los Angeles serves four-year-old
children a preschool
program that is part-day (3.5
hours), either free or for a fee, with fee-based
child care
as a full-day service for working
parents. In Santa Monica, SMMUSD (399-5865)
offers several LAUP classrooms and Connections for Children is
one
of the LAUP
Family Child Care Hubs. Five family
child care providers in Santa Monica are working
with Connections for Children to offer a preschool
curriculum for four-year-olds. For more
information on Los Angeles Universal Preschool,
visit their website at
http://www.laup.net/.
City of Santa Monica
Financial Assistance
for youth programs is offered by the City of Santa
Monica’s Community and Cultural Services
Department. The Department administers the program
and verifies application and income information.
Assistance is available for youth under the age of
18 who reside in the City of Santa Monica with the
following exception: Children who are non-residents
of Santa Monica, but attend a Santa Monica-Malibu
Unified School District school may be eligible for
financial assistance for after-school, school-based
City programs that take place during the school
year. Non-residents on permit do not qualify
for financial assistance for non-school based
classes (such as Community Classes held at City
parks), Community Aquatics or summer programs. Non-residents applying for assistance to applicable
programs must submit verification of school
enrollment. Re-certification of financial
assistance eligibility is required on a yearly basis. New applications are accepted
throughout the year. For an application or for
more information, contact the Reed Park Youth Office
at 458-8540.
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