About

Our Mission

Carpinteria Children’s Project prepares Carpinteria Valley children to enter kindergarten ready for success, regardless of the challenges they face. It promotes access to a strong network of resources Carpinteria families need to thrive.

Our Approach

Children are only as strong as the families in which they live, and families are only as strong as the communities in which they reside. To truly affect the child, we must address the surrounding factors that influence a child’s ability to thrive. No matter what program or activity parents or children participate in, the larger situation in which they live dramatically influences the extent to which they can make positive changes in their lives and community. In pursuit of our comprehensive goals, we focus on our youngest children and their families while addressing academic achievement, health, and social & emotional wellness at the family and community levels.

Our Community

Carpinteria, California is a small beach town of approximately 13,000 residents (Census 2020), It is quite socio-economically diverse and relatively isolated from the nearest population center, Santa Barbara. Approximately 51% of the kindergarteners in public elementary schools are low-income and roughly 27% are English learners. Many of our working poor families are employed as domestic workers or regular or seasonal workers in “the flowers;” Carpinteria is the biggest flower-producing region in the state of California. Despite the current drought, Carpinteria continues to produce avocados as well. The largest employers in town are Procore, Agilent, and the Carpinteria Unified School District.

Our History

In 2008, Carpinteria found itself with an asset: a public elementary school had closed because enrollment in the district had declined. Carpinteria Unified School District was also serving a higher percentage of low-income students than it had in the past. Community leaders and neighbors, with substantial support from a number of funders, decided to open a public-private collaborative focused on early education and social services. Before the Carpinteria Children’s Project opened, families had to go to Santa Barbara, California – which can take an hour by bus – to access services.

In January 2009, the Carpinteria Children’s Project (CCP) opened its doors. Onsite partners agreed to rental arrangements, moved in, and all remain on site today. In the fall of 2014, the partnership began spreading beyond the walls of our campus and adopted the name, Thrive Carpinteria Partner Network, which we lovingly still call our Partner Network. The Family Resource Center of the Carpinteria Children’s Project is the hub of the network and, in addition to providing direct services, manages families’ requests for service and centers a consistent pathway of care for families.

As of 2016, we decided to become our own 501c3 and operate as a standalone nonprofit. We have continued our strong partnership with the school district and work together to find and address the needs of children and families in the community.