Carpinteria Children’s Project Gets $100K Boost, Giving Hope to Families Amid Immigration Raids in Carpinteria
Patricia Martellotti
CARPINTERIA, Calif. – It’s lunch hour at the Carpinteria Children’s Project.
Ivon Huerta checks in on her children at the center, a place she says they wouldn’t be without financial support.
“It would be incredibly difficult. I don’t think they would have an opportunity to get the early education that they need to better their future,” said Huerta.
The center, which has long served low-income and immigrant families, was already set to receive a $100,000 grant from the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara.
But in the wake of last week’s ICE raids that shook many immigrant families in Carpinteria, the timing is especially meaningful.
“We work with the kids, but we know that some of the parents do work at some of those farms. We do have immigrant parents and a lot of staff here are immigrants as well so it really hits close to home,” said director of development Arianna Rodriguez of the Carpinteria Children’s Project.
The funding will strengthen services that support early education, emotional well-being, and stability, all crucial for families navigating fear and uncertainty.
“The demand is very high. All our classrooms have a robust waitlist. We’re very fortunate that this year we were able to support five families with 100% scholarships,” said director of early learning Guadalupe Perez of the Carpinteria Children’s Project.
Managers at the center say the grant will help ease the burden for more families in need of care and connection.
“It provides such a financial relief that allows me to focus on being able to provide a stable home for them without having to worry,” said Huerta.
The move comes as the City of Carpinteria voted to allocate $5,000 in emergency funding for nonprofit organizations impacted by recent immigration enforcement actions.
The organization’s dual language immersion preschool program is receiving the grant for the 2024–25 school year.
The funds will provide scholarships to support children from low-income families, helping ensure greater access to high-quality early education in a bilingual learning environment.
The initiative aims to promote school readiness and language development through the center’s dual language curriculum.
With this funding, CCP will be able to provide scholarships that partially cover enrollment costs for 20 to 40 new students from low-income families.
The center anticipates at least 70 percent of limited-English-proficient children will be rated “Ready to Go” or “Almost Ready” as determined by the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile when they enter kindergarten.
The U.S. Census QuickFacts data from 2019 to 2023 estimates about 35.9 percent of Carpinteria residents aged 5 and older speak a language other than English at home.
For more information, visit the Carpinteria Children’s Project website
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