Childcare

Finding childcare during a visit is up to individual KITP guests, but KITP's program manager cultivates information about local childcare providers and compiles the list of resources below for visiting families to access.

Daycares and Preschools

Particularly for infants, daycare centers in Santa Barbara and Goleta are heavily impacted. That said, KITP visitors have had excellent success in finding quality childcare in the area. The key steps to take are to get onto several wait lists at the earliest possible date and to follow up with the providers as your visit grows closer. While we cannot provide referrals, we are happy to provide as much information as possible and may be able to connect you with past program participants who can share their experiences and advice. Please feel free to contact the Program Manager if you have any questions.

UCSB Early Childhood Care and Education Services runs two daycares for children 3 months to 5 years: University Children’s Center, on the main campus, and Orfalea Family Children’s Center, a few miles west of campus. There are infant, toddler, and preschool programs. KITP visitors are given UCSB faculty/staff affiliation for enrollment priority and are in the "Community" tuition tier. It is crucial to get on their wait list as early as possible; space is especially limited for infants. In order to do so, please contact the Program Manager.

Children's Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County operates a free childcare referral service. Based on your child's age and other parameters (like location and your preference for home- vs. center-based daycare), they can provide a list of up to six licensed daycare providers with openings in your child's age group. Call the Santa Barbara office at (805) 963-6331 to request referrals. You will need to provide a Santa Barbara County home or work address. They can also connect families with nannies from a couple of different services.

The Santa Barbara Family Child Care Association provides a list of family (in-home) daycares.


Babysitters and Nanny Services

For nanny service on a temporary assignment basis:

  •  ChildTime - The manager's name is Roseann, and their phone number is (805) 962-4433. The reports on this service from our visitors have been consistently positive, but it is somewhat costly.

For babysitter referrals:

  • Mummy's Day Off is a babysitter referral service that has been highly recommended by previous visitors. The manager is Angela at (805)-570-6171.
  • Helpr  (formerly University Sitters) is a mobile childcare network that lets families book a screened and curated babysitter whenever they need help. Parents input family information, location, and the date and time needed, and Helpr guarantees to provide a sitter with as little as 3 hours notice.
    • Each helpr has undergone vetting with a screening process that includes an in-person interview, background and reference checks, and CPR certification.
    • Helpr is available for iOS and can be found in the app store. Alongside the mobile app, Helpr offers Customer Support 7 days a week from 8am-10pm. They may be contacted at 877-417-4483 or hello@helpr-app.com
    • As of November 16, the hourly rate is $21 per hour for one child, plus $1 per hour for each additional child.
    • Use code KITP20 for $20 off your booking with Helpr.

Childcare Websites

There are child-care listings at a number of websites including: Sitter City, ChildcareCenter.us, and CareGuide.


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