Childcare Model Emerges In SB County California is looking to Santa Barbara County as a model for expanding publicly funded childcare.
NEWS
voicesb.com
August 14, 2026
Flight Plan for $1.3 Million at SB Airport
By Erika Schultz, Santa BarBara Foundation
S
ANTA BARBARA COUNTY has emerged as a statewide model for expanding access to publicly funded childcare, according to a new case study from the nonpartisan California Budget & Policy Center. The report credits a coordinated effort among local nonprofits, public agencies, and funders with driving some of the state’s fastest growth in childcare enrollment.
Photo courtesy of SB Airport
Staff Report
Federal dollars will be paving the runway at the Santa Barbara Airport, with $1.3 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Airport Infrastructure Grant program, according to an announcement by U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal this week.
(See AIRPORT, 2)
Works by Toni Scott
Through a Cultural Lens
Exhibition open at MCASB
27
(See SB FOUNDATION, 5)
In This Issue
Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey
F
Arts & Culture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 , 1 8 , 2 6 - 2 9
By Daisy Scott / VOICE
EW HAVE ESCAPED THE SIREN SONG that is Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey by this point in the summer. Bridging the worlds of blockbuster and epic, this film, like its central 3,000 year-old story, spotlights some of the biggest legends, icons, and sociocultural anxieties of our day. It is massive in scale; a spectacle that evokes the same awe as the period pieces that emerged out of Hollywood’s golden age. (See OdySSEy, 9)
Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-14 Film Still courtesy of Universal Pictures
The moneys will go towards installing new signage, markings on Runway 7/25, reconstructing on-site pavement, and upgrading Taxiways A, B, and C.
Photo by Veronica Slavin
Airport Director Christopher Hastert pointed out the importance of the funding. “These funds will support critical pavement and taxiway rehabilitation projects that keep our airport safe, reliable, and ready to serve the Central Coast for years to come,” said Hastert.
For working families, access to reliable childcare often determines whether parents can remain in the workforce, pursue education or training, and build financial stability. For employers and the broader economy, a strong childcare system has become essential infrastructure that supports workforce participation and long-term economic resilience.
Matt Damon as Odysseus
John Palminteri: On the Street. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Viva La Finale!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Harlan Green: Economic Voice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 New Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Bridget Keon: The Weekly Scoop. . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Calendar........23-25 Cinema..............9, 22