Campus Childcare

The University of California, Santa Barbara provides students, faculty, and staff with a wide variety of options for reliable and high quality child-care programs and services. These services range from full-time infant care to after-school and vacation programs for school-aged children. Financial assistance is available for low-income families. Programs are open to all children without regard to religion, color, ethnicity, gender, physical or mental ability. Please call the programs directly or visit the website to get more specific program information (e.g. rate information, wait list, map, staff information, grants and scholarships, and applications)

An Overview of Campus Programs

Orfalea Family Children's Center
University Children's Center, West Campus
UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-1060
Phone (805) 893-3665

Licensed capacity:208
Facility #: 421708882, 421709944, 426206964

The Orfalea Family Children's Center, located on West Campus, provides child care for student, staff, and faculty families within the University community. The Center is licensed by the state and is accredited by the National Academy for Early Childhood Programs. Infant and toddler classrooms serve children 3 months to 3 years of age in small, intimate groups. These classrooms provide children with primary caregivers and a gentle loving environment that fosters close ties with parents to insure the best quality care possible. Children 3 to 5 years are served in multi-age preschool classrooms that follow the guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practices established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. All classrooms offer a rich variety of space, materials, and activities organized to promote children's active exploration and mastery. The goals of the program reflect an abiding sense of respect for children, their unique cultures, and individual development. Parents are encouraged to be active in the program by serving on the Parent Advisory Board, spending time in their child's classroom, attending parent education meetings, joining support groups, and communicating with their child's teachers. Interested parents are advised to put their child's name on the Center's waiting list and ask about tuition subsidies for low income families.

UCSB After School Program
UCSB After School Program
P.O. Box 12828, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA 93107
Phone (805) 893-8487

Licensed capacity:90
Facility #: 421710031

The UCSB After School Program, operated by the Goleta Boys and Girls Club, Inc., under the direction of the University's Department of Physical Activities and Recreation, provides quality after-school care for school-aged children. Students, faculty, and staff affiliated with the University, as well as many community members, have taken advantage of the program's on-campus location. The program provides transportation from the Hope, Santa Barbara, and Goleta Union school districts, as well as from a few private schools. Children in kindergarten through 8th grade are grouped by grade level with professional staff responsible for each group. Through exploration of the campus community, children discover first-hand the richness of the academic and natural environment at and surrounding UCSB. The goals of all activities are to challenge children to think and operate creatively and enhance each child's development through a broad range of age-appropriate activities such as arts and crafts, creative movement and play, computers, academics, and sports. Homework assistance is also available. Children are encouraged to have consideration for others as lasting friendships are developed. The program offers extended care on some holidays, teacher in-service days, and Winter and Spring breaks.

UCSB Summer Recreation Program
Summer Recreation Programs
UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5200
Phone (805) 893-3738

UCSB Department of Physical Activities and Recreation offers three Summer Recreation Programs for children: UCSB Summer Day Camp, a full-day program; UCSB Junior Lifeguard, a morning program; and UCSB Surf & Kayak Camp, which is offered in the afternoons. Depending on age, children can enroll in one or more programs and the programs can be combined to provide supervised, all-day activities. For more information, call (805) 893-3738.


Summer Day Camp (805) 893-3913
Summer Day Camp operates all day on campus during the summer for children ages 5 to 14 years. The program has three age divisions: Lower Camp (ages 5-6), Inter-Camp (ages 7-9), and Upper Camp (ages 10-14). A full range of age-appropriate activities and field trips are offered, including team and individual course, music, and drama. The camp is staffed with professional educators as well as trained college students. The child/staff ratio is low to keep the camp personal and give it a family atmosphere. Sessions are in one-week units, with parents having the option of sending children as many weeks as fits the family's summer schedule.

Junior Lifeguard Program (805) 893-3738
Junior Lifeguard Program, which meets at Campus Point, is designed to teach youths (age 9-17) a healthy respect and appreciation for the marine environment. The program is offered in two four-week sessions. The program's goal is to provide a fun and safe environment, while teaching basic life guarding, safety, rescue, and fitness skills through hands-on activities. Optional competitive events, such as run-swim, beach flags, and paddle board relays, are offered through competitions with other California Junior Lifeguard Programs. Optional field trips to the Channel Islands, Raging Waters, and wilderness areas are arranged at an additional charge.


Surf & Kayak Camp (805) 893-3738

Surf & Kayak Camp is structured into eight one-week sessions. This program, which meets at Campus Point, targets active 9-17 year olds who wish to participate in surfing, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, and other outdoor activities. Instruction throughout the afternoon allows campers to choose those activities which interest them. This program is less structured than the Junior Lifeguard program, yet still provides supervised activities for children who want to learn about and interact with the local ocean environment. Optional field trips to the Channel Island, Raging Waters, and wilderness areas are arranged ar an additional charge.

Family Student Housing Youth Recreation Program
KIDSTUFF, UCSB Family Student Housing
786 Laurel Walk, Goleta, CA 93117
Phone (805) 685-9109

Licensed capacity: KIDSTUFF,JR:20, KIDSTUFF:45

Family Student Housing Youth Recreation Programs include KIDSTUFF and KIDSTUFF, JR., which provide high quality and affordable after-school recreation programs for children kindergarten through 8th grade who live in Family Student Housing. The program is designed with the specific interests, needs, and backgrounds of the families in mind.

Age-appropriate activities are provided and may arts, crafts, dramatic arts, cooking, stories, sports, games, computers, wood-working, gardening, other special projects. Children are encouraged to challenge themselves, to explode their talents and interests, and to find new, creative, and positive ways to express themselves and interact with others. Homework time and tutoring are available for children whose parents request it. Staff is made up of a diverse group of UCSB student interns who are dedicated to providing a warm, caring, and stimulating environment. Staff members receive ongoing training in child development and school-age child care. Other programs offered by Family Student Housing include a teen leadership program and infant/toddler-parent play groups.

Isla Vista Youth Projects, Inc.
Isla Vista Youth Projects, Inc.
892 Camino Del Sur, Isla Vista, CA 93117-4499
Phone (805) 968-2611 or (805) 968-0488

UCSB is committed to improving the quality of life in the neighboring community of Isla Vista, which is home to students, individuals, and families from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Isla Vista Youth Projects, Inc., is a private, non-profit organization, which was founded as a community-based agency in 1971 to provide child care, recreational, and educational programming to community and university families.

Isla Vista Youth Projects' Afterschool Program
IVYP Afterschool Recreation Program offers drop-in recreation, sports, arts, and crafts, computer, homework assistance, and other supervised activities after school for elementary-aged children in 1st-6th grades. This low-cost program is on site at Isla Vista Elementary School.One-on-one tutorial services and the Isla Vista Buddies friendship program are also available to participants free of charge.

Isla Vista Youth Projects' Summer Recreation Program
IVYP Summer Recreation Program extends drop-in recreation programming to full-day during the summer. The program remains on site at Isla Vista Elementary School, and United Way scholarships are available for eligible families. Extended recreational activities for children include overnight camping, trips to the beach and parks, putting on a play, basketball league, and participation in the summer reading program through the public library

Isla Vista Children's Center
Licensed capacity:65
Facility #: 421701042

Isla Vista Children's Center provides inexpensive, licensed child care for children 2-6 years. The program offers a secure, nurturing home-away-from-home, which helps children grow emotionally, socially, physically, creatively, and intellectually. The toddler component features small classes and a separate play yard for 2 year olds. The preschool serves children 3-6 years in multi-aged classrooms and a large, newly renovated okay yard. A wide variety of scholarships are available for eligible families, and the Center offers a hot lunch programs and flexible scheduling for student parents.

Services for Children with Special Needs
The University and Isla Vista children's programs described in this brochure welcome children with special needs. For information about additional support services for children with special needs, contact the following agencies:

Infant/Preschoolers: Special Education Support Services
Santa Barbara County Education Office (805) 964-4711

School-aged Children: Special Education Office (in child's home district)
Carpinteria Unified: (805) 684-7657
Goleta Unified: (805) 681-1220
Santa Barbara Unified/High School (805) 963-4331

Children with permanent developmental delays:
Tri-Counties regional Center
(805) 684-1204

UCSB Emergency Locator Service
The Office of Student Life offers an Emergency Locator Service. Any UCSB student who has a child enrolled in a local school or child care program may list the Dean of Students Office as an alternate emergency contact. In an emergency during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00-5:00pm), the Office of Student Life will accept calls and use students' class schedules to locate student-parents in class. For more information, contact (805) 893-4569.

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Last Modified Mar 19, 2009