United Way urges Buellton council to fund and loosen zoning for child care

United Way of Santa Barbara County asked the Buellton City Council on April 10 to help expand child-care capacity and affordability by creating a dedicated local revenue source and by changing land-use rules that local United Way staff and providers say slow new centers from opening.

The Brighter Futures Child Care Initiative presentation documented a countywide shortage of licensed child‑care slots and asked the council to consider both money and zoning changes. "We do have a scholarship program that provides financial relief to families in that income bracket," Rose Levy of United Way told the council, adding, "To date, we have awarded over $71,000 in scholarships for 16 children across the county, and 25% of those children were here in Buellton." United Way representative Steve Ortiz framed the issue as tied to education, workforce participation and community resiliency.

Why it matters: United Way presented county data showing long wait lists, high costs and a local shortfall in infant care. The group said 75% of local parents report cost or availability of child care is causing them to pull back from the workforce; families in the "missing middle" (described in the presentation as households earning roughly $90,000–$180,000) can spend as much as 30% of income on child care. United Way reported an estimated county deficit of about 9,300 licensed child‑care spaces and said Buellton has zero licensed infant spaces at centers.

United Way's specific asks to the council were twofold: 1) create a dedicated local revenue source to support the child‑care sector (examples cited included local sales or real‑estate transfer taxes used by other cities, grant/incentive models, or shared‑services approaches), and 2) direct staff to review and streamline the city's land‑use and permitting policies to reduce barriers for new or expanding child‑care centers. Levy noted United Way is already funding center startup/expansion grants and provider supports countywide, and that the nonprofit has used partnerships with employers and UCSB to expand infant care in other locations.

Council reaction and direction: Councilmember Hornick expressed support and said she has already agreed to join United Way's Brighter Futures Child Care Coalition. After discussion, the council asked staff to prepare a report on potential land‑use changes and permitting adjustments and to add childcare financing as a priority item to the special Saturday meeting on city financial priorities. City staff confirmed the Saturday meeting is focused on financial priorities and that a separate staff review would be scheduled for zoning/land‑use recommendations.

Funding and program details United Way reported so far: $71,000 awarded in scholarships to 16 children across the county (25% of those scholarships served Buellton families); four facility grants that United Way said have added roughly 150 seats countywide (projects cited included expansions at UCSB and several school/district sites); a provider business training program; and emergency‑preparedness training for childcare providers. United Way also described its Brighter Futures Fund as able to receive city contributions earmarked for scholarships, center startup or expansion, or provider supports.

What remains open: Council did not adopt a funding measure. Council direction was to have staff return with land‑use options and to consider childcare as part of the city's financial priorities at the upcoming Saturday special meeting. No formal budget appropriation, ordinance or tax measure was proposed or adopted at the April 10 meeting.