Carpinteria Children’s Project

Mitigating Stress for Families

By Katrina McDowell on Jul 24, 2024 in Giving

Children thrive when supported by a strong family and community throughout their lives.

Carpinteria Children’s Project (CCP), a Yardi-supported nonprofit, has been a beacon of hope in our community since its establishment in 2009. With a focus on diverse programs and services, CCP has actively supported successful children throughout Carpinteria, Calif. The organization’s local knowledge and expertise have been crucial in addressing the Carpinteria families’ unique challenges, ensuring its support remains relevant and effective.

The Family Resource Center (FRC) serves as the heart of its network, providing families with essential support and managing referrals to and from partners. The FRC offers diverse programs and services by harnessing the power of family as a child’s first teacher and advocate, including parent education classes, child development activities, and support groups with a warm and caring approach.

CCP is a dedicated team, along with its partner agencies, that collaborates to address families’ holistic needs. From coordinating with other social services agencies to its Promotoras de Salud program, it provides comprehensive support for family well-being. Its Early Childhood Education program offers care for children ages 18 months to five years old, ensuring a well-rounded support system for families.

“From outdoor classrooms to dual language immersion programs, we provide a nurturing environment and strong foundation for children to succeed in the rest of their educational journey,” said Ari Rodriguez, director of development for Carpinteria Children’s Project.

CCP strategies for future success include clearly defined organizational purpose, programs, impact, and delivery for programs that suit the community’s needs. Additionally, CCP will maintain financial stability and sustainability and support CCP’s board, leadership and staff teams.

Funding from Yardi has allowed CCP to invest in programs and immediate support that mitigates toxic stress from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), reduce domestic abuse, and increase the likelihood that children thrive academically, physically and socially.

“We are grateful for Yardi’s support these last four years. $10,000 gifts have allowed us to continue our services during the pandemic and continually enhance/improve the services we provide in response to the community’s growing needs,” expressed Rodriguez.

Ashley’s Story

Ashley is a young mother with a toddler and a baby. The Carpinteria Health Clinic referred the family to the Carpinteria Children’s Project. During a routine postpartum screening, Ashley reported she had experienced abuse, both as a child and later from a previous partner. A Family Resource Center coach met with Ashley immediately after her doctor visits, establishing a warm connection and offering the opportunity to participate in a few structured visits together to address strategies for mitigating toxic stress.

The following week, Ashley visited the Family Resource Center to meet with a family advocate coach to assess her short- and long-term needs and make an action plan. The coach also connected her with referrals for a few items that needed support. Ashley has joined the Parents as Teachers program, which means she will also receive a series of home visits focused on helping her understand and practice her role in child development and literacy until her youngest is four years old. This same coach will continue to follow up with Ashley to ensure she’s meeting the goals she set for herself as part of her long-term plan, which includes pursuing additional education. She’s already completed an application to qualify for a childcare scholarship for her older daughter.

Volunteer Opportunities

Carpinteria Children’s Project offers several volunteer opportunities in its monthly food bank, at various fundraising events and in the classroom. They also plan special projects for groups or teams. If interested, reach out to Ari Rodriguez at [email protected].

“Even though Carpinteria can seem close, accessing Santa Barbara-based services can be very difficult for our families without cars. Having CCP as an immediate source of support and a connector to additional resources makes a huge difference to families,” explained Rodriquez.

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