Underserved part of Ventura County is step closer to having more early childhood education spaces

Este artículo fue publicado originalmente por KCLU.

In Santa Paula, there are only 881 formal early learning spaces available to service the needs of more than 2000 children aged under 5.

“There’s more students who need these services than there are services available to provide to them,” explained Dr Carlos Dominguez, Briggs School District Superintendent.

A new location for an early care hub near Briggs Elementary School has been selected – which will create around 200 more spaces for children aged 0-5, as well as wrap-around services.

“Studies show that by age 5, 90% of a child’s brain development is completed,” said Dominguez. “Therefore, having access to high-quality early childhood education helps prepare children so they enter school ready to learn, and ensures our students are equipped to be academically successful as well as thrive beyond the classroom.”

The Isabella Project has overseen the development of the Santa Paula Early Childhood Education Roadmap. The Isabella Project is a pilot project with the goal of ensuring all children in Santa Paula have access to high-quality, full-time early care and education that meets their families’ needs. The project aims to be a model for creating a network of wrap-around care through pre-existing and new providers through the city that can be replicated in cities across the county. To learn more about the Isabella Project, please visit vccf.org/proyecto-isabella.