From preparing your child and your home, to building positive relationships with teachers, learn simple steps you can take to start the school year right.
- Back-to-School: Are You Ready? As the summer winds down, children of all ages may experience back-to-school jitters. Use these suggested strategies to ease their anxiety, and smoothly transition into the school year routine.
- Creating a Homework Space for Your Child. As you prepare for the new school year, set up a homework space for your child and replenish your at-home supplies.
- A Family’s Guide to Building Family-Teacher Communication Relationships. Before you meet your child’s new teachers, get practical advice for cultivating positive family-teacher relationships.
Starting at a new school can be daunting! We’ve collected expert tips for managing these especially big transitions, across every age and stage.
- How to Prepare Your Child for Preschool: Use these tips from Bright Horizons experts to prepare your toddler for this new experience.
- Getting Ready for Kindergarten: How to Prepare and What to Expect. Read these helpful tips to prepare both you and your child for kindergarten.
- Maximizing Middle School Success: Learn about four skills that can make a real difference during the tween years.
- 3 Tips for Planning a High School Curriculum: Help your child build an effective high school plan.
- Transitioning to College: Part 1 and Part 2. Tune into this two-part podcast to learn how students can prepare themselves for college.
This page will be updated with after school care options throughout August 2022. Going forward, updates will be made in May and August. Have suggestions for additional programs? Please use the "Contact Us" form.
Santa Ynez Valley, Lompoc, Santa Maria
- Santa Maria-Bonita School District Afterschool Programs:
Grades K-8. Activities and programs vary by site. - Channel Islands YMCA:
Offers before and after school care in Camarillo, Ventura, Montecito, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc. - Los Alamos School of Gymnastics Afterschool Program:
Offers gymnastic and alternate activities for children. - Champions After-School Programs:
Grades K-6; Variety of activities and homework help. - Santa Barbara Boys & Girls Clubs:
Locations in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Buellton & Lompoc. Programs include: - Education and Career Development
- Character and Leadership Development
- Health and Life Skills
- The Arts
- Sports, Fitness and Recreation
- Camp Whittier
Carpinteria, Montecito, Santa Barbara, Goleta
- AHA!
- AHA! Ally Group Grades 9-12
- AHA! Creative Group: Grades 9-12
- AHA! Girls' Group: Grades 9-12
- AHA! Juniors: Grades 6-8
- AHA! EQ Music Group: Grades 9-12
- AHA! Carpinteria Group: Grades 9-12
- AHA! Littlest Little Farm: Ages 13-18
- Channel Islands YMCA:
Offers before and after school care in Camarillo, Ventura, Montecito, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc. - Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara
Grades: K-6; walking pickup available for El Camino and Hollister Schools only. - Goleta Unified Afterschool/Expanded Learning:
Must be enrolled in the school to take advantage of the after school care services. - Recreational After School Program (RAP):
Homework assistance, recreation activities, sports, crafts, and special programs to 1st - 6th graders at Adams, Monroe, Roosevelt, and Washington - SB Unified After School/Expanded Learning:
A year-round subsidized program for children in transitional kindergarten and kindergarten at 6 elementary school sites. ASES/A-OK (After School Education and Safety) programs are on 8 elementary school sites and at La Cumbre Junior High. This program operates on school days only. - Santa Barbara Boys & Girls Clubs:
Locations in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Buellton & Lompoc. Programs include: - Education and Career Development
- Character and Leadership Development
- Health and Life Skills
- The Arts
- Sports, Fitness and Recreation
- Camp Whittier
- School Year Programs - Wilderness Youth Project:
Grades K-12. Montecito, Santa Barbara, and Goleta Area. - San Marcos Parent Child Workshop
Ages 2-5
Morning/afternoon programs available - Rainbow School
Ages: Infants- 6 yrs
Infant/toddler care, Pre-K, after-school care, & summer camps available
Culinary and Visual Arts
- AHA! Creative Group:
Writing, painting, music & theater Grades: 9-12 - Apple to Zucchini Cooking Classes
Grades: K-6 - Artstudio 4 Kids
Grades: 1-8 - S.B. Museum of Art Fall After-School Classes Ages: 5-12
Dance, Music & Theater
- The Adderley School: Musical Theater Workshops
Ages: 4-18 - Callaghan School of Irish Dance
Ages: 5-10 - The Dance Network: An all-inclusive dance studio
Ages 2-80+! - Dance Unlimited
Ages: 4+ - Goleta School of Ballet
Ages: 3-18 - InterAct Theatre
Ages 4-16 - Kindermusik with Kathy & Friends
Ages 3-8+ - Lights Up! Theatre Company
Ages 12-18 - SB Dance Arts
Ages 12 mo.-teen - SB Strings Youth Orchestra
Ages: 4-19 - South Coast Youth Band
Grades: 4-6 - Spotlight Kids Theater Camp
Grades: 2-6 - State Street Ballet Academy
Ages: 1-18 - Young Singers Club
Ages 8-18
Nature Exploration & Outdoor Ed
- AHA!s Littlest Little Farm
Ages: 13-18 - Wilderness Youth Project
Ages: 2.5-18
After School Sports
- Santa Barbara Soccer Club
Ages 4-18 - Surf Happens After School Program
Ages:6-15 - SB Parks&Rec
Offers basketball, flag football, soccer, tennis & volleyball - Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara:
Gymnastics
Ages: 18months-18years - Gymnastics, Aerial, Cheer, and Parkour
Ages 3+ - Mission Rowing
Grades: 5-12 - S.B. Youth Sailing Foundation
Ages 7-18 - Twin Lakes Junior Golf
Ages 4-12
Ventura County
- Ventura Unified School District Afterschool Programs:
Grades K-12; Several locations across VUSD - Ventura Wild – Wilderness discovery programs:
Afterschool programs for children 2-10. Afterschool programs offered in Ojai and Ventura. - Oxnard Scholars Afterschool Program:
Grades K-8; Varies from school to school - Buena Ventura KinderCare
Ages 6 weeks - 12 yrs
Pre-School, daycare, & before/after-school programs available - Catalyst Kids
Ages Infant - School Age
Various programs offered across Ventura, Oxnard, and Ojai - City of Ventura - Youth Recreation Programs
- Las Posas Children's Center
- Ages K-6
Daycare, fall/winter break, & summer camps available - Programs offered across 6 VUSD campuses; Junipero Serra School, Blanche Reynolds School, Pierpont School, Citrus Glen School, Will Rogers School, & Montalvo School