This page was last
updated on
November 9, 2009.
Santa Barbara School Districts are part of the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
Healthy Start and A-OK Programs
“A committed schools-families-communities partnership
working together to help children and youth reach their full potential”
Healthy Start
The Healthy Start program in Santa Barbara School Districts is available to students and their families at Adams Cleveland, Franklin, Harding and McKinley schools and those enrolled in the SBSD Child Development program. Bilingual family advocates work daily in each site’s Family Resource Center (FRC) to enhance school-family relations, provide information, and to connect families with community services that address students’ unmet basic needs—such as for affordable health and dental care, emergency food and clothing, counseling, after school programs. Thanks to a recent First 5 Santa Barbara County grant to Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara and space provided by Child Development, family advocates also serve families with children in SBSD’s Child Development classes, with base operations at Franklin Children’s Center, McKinley and Santa Barbara High School CalSAFE center.
The Healthy Start program, initiated in 1992, is sustained through ongoing collaboration and support by the host schools, community partners and families, along with grants and donations. Healthy Start helps thousands of young people (infant through secondary school) and their families have a more healthy, safer, more enriching life and to become more successful in learning. The Healthy Start staff provide:
- Outreach/Information/Linkage for Isolated Families - supportive listening, referrals, case management, translation assistance, invitation to special events;
- Increased Access to Health and Human Services - help negotiating systems; referrals: food, clothing, counseling, legal aid, social, medical and dental care, etc.;
- Skills Development - practical skills support such as making appointments, filling out forms; connection with tutoring, after school programs, summer programs, ESL and other parenting programs;
- Home-school communication assistance - outreach, translation, advocacy;
- Support for the ASES/A-OK! program - assistance in enrolling, collecting fees, student encouragement and consultation, translation for staff-parent communication
ASES grant programs: “A-OK!” and “La Cumbre After School Program”
The A-OK! Program (After school Opportunities for Kids) at Adams, Cleveland, Franklin, Harding, and McKinley elementary schools and the After School Program at La Cumbre Junior High operate every school day until 6 p.m. These excellent programs receive major funding from the California Department of Education through a statewide After School Education and Safety (ASES) grant program. Each site is supervised by well-trained staff and offers a structured, engaging array of academic and enrichment activities. Major partners include the Santa Barbara School Districts, the site schools, City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department, Police Activities League, and Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara. Each year, various other partners bring special program curricula. As the lead agency, SBSD administers the program.
In 2009-10, United Way of Santa Barbara County funded a number of A-OK scholarships.
Healthy Start and ASES/A-OK Program Office location:
Santa Barbara Junior High, 723 East Cota Street, Santa Barbara 93103, Room 152
Director: Debi Badger
Phone: (805) 963-7751, extension 201
Fax: (805) 963-5080
E-mail: dbadger@sbsdk12.orgProgram Supervisor: Sharon Roth
Phone: (805) 963-7751, extension 202
Fax: (805) 963-5080
E-mail: sroth@sbsdk12.orgData and Curriculum Coordinator: Marisa Miller
Phone (805) 963-7751, extension 203
Fax: (805) 963-5080
E-mail: mmiller@sbsdk12.org
Healthy Start Family Resource Centers and Site ASES/A-OK offices
Open on school days: call for appointment
Adams Elementary, 2701 Las Positas Road, S.B. 93105, Room 22
Family Advocate Jesse Tovar, A-OK Site Coordinator Kari Weber
Phone: (805) 563-0935 (Jesse=x1; Kari=x2)
Fax: (805) 563-4365
j.tovar@fsacares.org
kweber@sbsdk12.org
Cleveland Elementary: 123 Alameda Padre Serra (APS), S.B. 93013, Room 16
Family Advocate Jenny Leon, A-OK Site Coordinator Steve Fancher
Phone: (805) 963-4723 (Jenny=x1; Steve=x3)
Fax: (805) 965-3523
jenny@fsacares.org
sfancher@sbsdk12.org
Franklin Elementary: 1111 East Mason Street, S.B. 93103, Room 12
Family Advocate Tere Jurado, Site Coordinator Jonathan Arriaran
Phone: (805) 963-4523
Fax: (805) 962-6846
tere@fsacares.org
jarriaran@sbsdk12.org
Harding Elementary: 1625 Robbins Street, S.B. 93101, adjacent to office
Family Advocate Carmen Luna, Site Coordinator Rachele Weiss
Phone: Carmen/a.m.(805) 965-0755; p.m.=568-0640 (Rachele=x1, Carmen=x2)
Fax: (805) 962-1846 (Afternoon office is in Harding Recreation Center bldg.)
carmenl@fsacares.org
rweiss@sbsdk12.org
McKinley Elementary: 350Loma Alta Drive, S.B. 93108, Room 11
Family Advocate Maria Caballero, Site Coordinator Molly Payne
Phone: (805) 966-3177 (Maria=x1; Molly =x2)
mariac@fsacares.org
mpayne@sbsdk12.org
Family advocates assigned to Child Development program families:
- Brenda Lopez based at Franklin Children’s Center 963-8685 x114 brendal@fsacares.org
- Mayra Jimenez based at McKinley School, Room 11, 730-7466 mayraj@fsacares.org
- Jacqueline Inda based at FSA and SBHS/CalSAFE, 897-1821 jacquelin@fsacares.org
La Cumbre Junior High: 2255 Modoc Road, S.B. 93108, ASES Office
Site Coordinator Sal Williams
Phone: (805) 687-0761 x336
Fax (805)563-4636
swilliams@sbsdk12.org