Valentine’s Day came early for Storyteller Children’s Center and 160 guests who attended the nonprofit’s 10th annual Lunch with Love event Feb. 13 at Rockwood Santa Barbara Woman’s Club.
The 36-year-old early childhood education center has come a long way since its inception in the parking lot of Transition House. Today, the organization sets the standard for trauma-informed early childhood education in the Santa Barbara community, serving 80 students at three distinct locations.
With the return to its roots and the addition of Storyteller at Transition House last year, the organization now serves children as young as six weeks, providing a strong continuum of care.
“We care for our community’s youngest and most vulnerable,” said executive director Gabriella Garcia. “Our ultimate goal is to stabilize families and break the cycle of poverty and trauma. We believe we can truly change the trajectory of these young lives.”
Storyteller Children’s Center provides high-quality, no-cost early childhood education to children facing adverse circumstances, often leading to lasting trauma.
The nonprofit’s approach incorporates nutritious meals, family advocacy, mental health support, and wrap-around services for the entire family.
“One hundred percent of our children are living below the poverty level,” said Garcia. “Many are being raised by single parents, teen parents, grandparents or caretakers, while also often facing housing and food insecurities and unstable home environments.”
The year-round program provides stability and caring teachers specially trained in trauma-informed care. Parents and guardians also receive an education through the nonprofit, with parenting classes and critical early intervention to help with housing, employment and medical concerns.
“Our bilingual, bi-cultural teachers are the heart of Storyteller,” said Garcia. “Teachers build trusted relationships with families and know how to respond effectively to children in crisis.”
CALM has been a critical community partner in these efforts, working closely with Storyteller families for 16 years. The two organizations created a collaborative and innovative partnership several years ago, to support children and the adults caring for them, including teachers, caregivers and administrators.
“Storyteller represents the first site in Santa Barbara County to offer imbedded infant and early childhood mental health consultation,” said keynote speaker Ashleigh Erving, director of clinical operations at CALM. “This specialized service supports parents as well as staff, enriching social emotional development and implementing practices that buffer against toxic stress and trauma.”
Erving also explained how the mental health of young children (birth to five years) impacts how they learn to form relationships, manage their feelings and understand the world around them.
“Each experience young children have, become a building block for their future,” said Erving. “While negative experiences are not necessarily uncommon, without safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments these experiences can impair learning, relations, emotional and physical health throughout a lifetime.
“Storyteller ensures a comprehensive range of support services through partnerships with other local providers,” said Erving, sharing a personal story from her own parenting journey.
“Storyteller removes barriers to access, ensuring that every child and the adults who care for them have the support they need so that our community’s youngest citizens can reach their fullest potential,” she said.
For more about Storyteller Children’s Center, visit https://storytellercenter.org.
