This summer, our department officially joined the Too Small to Fail (TSTF) initiative, a national early childhood project of the Clinton Foundation in partnership with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). The initiative transforms waiting areas in human service agencies into warm, language-rich spaces that give parents and caregivers tools to support early brain and language development in young children.
On September 5, representatives from CDSS and the Clinton Foundation visited our Workforce Resource Center (WRC) lobby in Santa Maria to install our new Read, Play, and Learn Space. The setup included a bookstand with 50 beginner books, colorful child-sized furniture, a washable rug, and a variety of engaging learning materials to keep children entertained while they wait. Families can also take home tote bags filled with high-quality books and educational tools to continue learning at home. Over the next year, the county will receive monthly book shipments to replenish the lobby collection, along with 1500 totes to distribute to families.
Earlier in July, our site hosted the pre-survey process, led by research partner Public Profit. Over two days, families in the lobby shared feedback and received gift cards for participating. Special thanks go to Raul Cabrera, who played a key role in coordinating the TSTF initiative for our county and ensuring the surveys and installation ran smoothly. Appreciation also goes to Leticia Ornelas and Kimberly Dahl, who assisted with interviews for Spanish-speaking participants.
Looking ahead, researchers will return to WRC on September 29 and 30 to conduct the post-survey, once again compensating participating families with gift cards to capture how the new space is shaping their experience. Andrea Salazar will join Leticia and Kimberly to support the post-survey interviews with Spanish-speaking clients. Findings from both surveys will be compiled into a comprehensive report later this year, offering valuable insight into how family-friendly environments impact client engagement and service delivery.
Santa Barbara County is proud to be one of only three counties in California selected for this second round of the initiative, alongside Merced and Humboldt. Out of all 58 counties statewide, we were chosen for this honor, making this a truly unique opportunity to bring innovation and support to the families we serve.
At the Napa County launch event in 2023, Chelsea Clinton and California Social Services Director Kim Johnson underscored the importance of this initiative. Clinton shared: “We hope to be in all of the California counties and all of the offices like this because we so fundamentally believe that every child and every parent and other caregiver of young children deserve to have access to spaces in places like this.”
The WRC installation marks a significant step forward in making our lobbies not just functional, but engaging and supportive for the children and families we serve. Staff have already shared how much they love the new space, and we are excited to see the positive impact it will have on our clients in the months ahead.
