United Way of Santa Barbara County welcomed 40+ local community leaders in business, philanthropy, government, and early childhood and education to hear from a panel of childcare experts, moderated by City of Goleta Councilmember James Kyriaco.
Santa Barbara, CA, August 22, 2025 – Representatives from the region’s largest employers and childcare sector experts joined United Way’s Brighter Futures Childcare Coalition meeting on August 19th at the Santa Barbara County Education Office for a panel discussion concerning workforce, business, and community impacts of childcare. Over 40 representatives were in attendance and joined United Way staff, consultants, and leadership from First 5 Santa Barbara County.
Panel members included Sheryl Shushan from Patagonia, Yukiko Irie from Cottage Health and the Orfalea Children’s Center, Annette Muse from UC Santa Barbara, Adrianna Foss with the Audacious Foundation, Meredith Lipnik with Moms First, and Christina Latner a representative from SLO Family Friendly Workplaces. The panel was moderated by City of Goleta City Councilmember James Kyriaco, a longtime advocate for local childcare solutions.
“Today’s discussion brough together local businesses, both large and small, along with early education advocates to talk about what is possible to increase access to affordable, quality childcare for working families,” said City of Goleta Councilmember James Kyriaco. “I look forward to the work of the Brighter Futures Initiative and United Way of Santa Barbara County as they continue advocating for children and families locally.”
Patagonia, represented on the morning’s childcare panel, is an innovative leader in employer-sponsored childcare. Sheryl Shushan, Senior Director of Global Family Services, joined the discussion, emphasizing the company’s belief that “what is right for children is also good for business.” Patagonia has provided on-site childcare to company employees for multiple decades and now serves over 200 children across three of its centers.
“Patagonia grew out of a love for fun and adventure in wild places. As time went on, employees’ children were showing up in meetings and being toted around in backpacks and became a part of the workplace culture,” said Shushan. “As more children joined the community, it became clear that parents needed support and their children needed to play and learn alongside nurturing caregivers, so onsite childcare opened at our headquarters in Ventura, Calif., in 1983. Today, children are still a part of our culture, and Patagonia supports working parents by offering benefits like paid parental leave, childcare stipends and subsidies, and onsite childcare for children 0-5 years old in three locations.”
The panel discussion highlighted numerous opportunities in solution building in the childcare space, including various models, revenue streams, systems, and infrastructure options. The panel also raised the importance of a strong childcare sector in overall community economic health, with significant impacts on employee retention, workforce health, and individual financial security. According to recent data from the Bipartisan Policy Center, the cumulative impact on households, businesses, and tax revenues of the undersupply of childcare spaces in Santa Barbara County are estimated to reach up to $305,589,000 annually. (United Way, Child Care Assessment, 2022)
“The need for a strong, quality childcare system is well-known,” shared Steve Ortiz, United Way’s President & CEO. “As a community, it is our responsibility to come together to find collaborative ways to make sure that children and families have access to the tools they need to thrive. Childcare is at the center of so many economic, health, and academic indicators, and is an effective investment towards this goal.’
United Way has a longstanding commitment to creating collaborative solutions that impact systemic issues in childhood development and early learning. In 2023, United Way expanded its systems-level efforts in the childcare sector in partnership with the County of Santa Barbara and First 5 Santa Barbara County. The organization formalized its childcare programs and partnerships through the Brighter Futures Childcare Initiative, a cross-county multi-sector effort to strengthen Santa Barbara County’s childcare environment. The initiative now includes multiple impact areas, informed by United Way’s Brighter Futures Childcare Coalition, a network of over 25 representatives from business, philanthropic, social, childcare sector, and government agencies that convenes to strategize and foster innovation in collaborative solution-building.
In 2024, the initiative launched the Brighter Futures Childcare Fund, a tiered approach to investments in the childcare sector focused on remediating systemic barriers to accessibility and affordability. The fund provides support to employers seeking to expand or launch childcare facilities, childcare providers and centers launching or expanding facilities, business and technical support and training to support key stakeholders in the workforce, and scholarships to support families in affording quality childcare.
As the Fund approaches its first anniversary of operation, it has already generated over 250 new childcare spaces and has invested over $800,000 in the local sector, including facilities grants for employers or providers and childcare scholarships to local families. United Way looks forward to continuing its work in the childcare sector alongside its growing network of partners in business, government, and philanthropy.
Brighter Futures Childcare Coalition Members
Buellton Chamber of Commerce, Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce, City of Goleta, City of Santa Barbara, City of Lompoc, City of Buellton, City of Solvang, City of Santa Maria, City of Guadalupe, City of Santa Ynez, City of Orcutt, California Senate, District 21, Office of Supervisor Laura Capps, County of Santa Barbara, CSUCI, Allan Hancock College, Guadalupe Unified School District, Salvation Army, Office of Assemblymember Greg Hart, Santa Barbara Foundation, Children’s Resource & Referral of SB County, Carpinteria Children Project, Future Leaders of America, Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation, Santa Barbara County Education Office, First 5 Santa Barbara County, Eileen Monahan Consulting, Maria Chesley Consulting, United Way of Santa Barbara County
About United Way of Santa Barbara County
Since 1923, United Way of Santa Barbara County has been a key leader in local efforts to support children, families, and communities through its own unique collaborative programs and initiatives, partnership convening efforts, volunteer development, and funding. United Way’s mission is to enrich the lives of children and families and build resilient communities by leading local programs and partnerships that improve academic achievement, financial security, and community resiliency. To learn more, please visit unitedwaysb.org.
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