The New Orfalea Children’s Center Opens

Expanded Care for Employees’ Children

September 12, 2007

Cottage is pleased to announce the opening of the new Orfalea Children’s Center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.  This state-of-the-art center has been made possible by the largest foundation gift in the history of Cottage Health System.  The $5 million gift was contributed by The Orfalea Fund, founded by Paul and Natalie Orfalea, local businesspeople and philanthropists.  The contribution was given to support the $100 million fundraising campaign to build the new Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and for a specific Orfalea Fund focus area – education and early childhood care.  In honor of the fund’s generosity, Cottage has named the new employee child care center the Orfalea Children’s Center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.   The Orfalea gift now brings the funds raised for The Campaign for Cottage Health System to $75 million.

The newly constructed center – which is located on Castillo Street one block from the hospital – is one of the initial completed elements of the multi-year construction project to build the new Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.  Made up of three colorful cottage-style houses, the center runs two programs: one for employees’ infants and toddlers up to two and one-half years old, and a second one for employees’ children two and one-half years old up to kindergarten age.  Facilities include expanded classrooms, keyed entry for parents, a private breastfeeding room, kitchen areas for each group, and separate outdoor play areas for older and younger children. The center design meets LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) specifications, including specified levels of solar-generated energy, bamboo flooring, and construction wood from regenerating forests.

Cottage has a long history of providing quality child development services to the children of employees.  The original Children’s Center opened in 1981, and the Infant/Toddler Center was added in 1992.  “With the Orfaleas, Cottage shares a passion for high quality care, not only for our patients but for our employees as well,” said Ron Werft, president and chief executive officer of Cottage Health System.  “Ideally, working parents need to know that their children are nearby in a secure and stimulating environment.  Thanks to the generosity of The Orfalea Fund, we have been able to expand our services to more children in a new, child-friendly setting with both programs housed together for the first time.”

Through The Orfalea Fund, Paul and Natalie Orfalea have pursued a long-standing interest in high quality early childhood care and education for working families.  “We are pleased to partner with Cottage to help ensure that its co-workers can give 100 percent on the job knowing that their young children are receiving excellent care nearby,” said Mrs. Orfalea.  Added Mr. Orfalea, “A nurturing setting like this new center with its excellent team of teachers and staff will support families and children in our community for many years.”

The largest private employer in the county with a staff of 2,500, Cottage Health System is only one of three Santa Barbara organizations providing on-site day care to employees.

About The Orfalea Fund

Established in 2003, The Orfalea Fund is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation with the mission to support organizations and projects in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties which:

• Enhance young people’s lives by contributing to quality education, healthy development, and nurturing environments;
• Improve and enrich education and services through community programs;
• Encourage family values; bring together generations; and provide opportunities to those less privileged and those facing learning challenges.

About Cottage Health System

The not-for-profit Cottage Health System, the parent organization of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and its associated Cottage Children’s Hospital, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, is guided by a volunteer board of directors from the greater Santa Barbara community.   Last year, the hospitals provided inpatient care for 21,000 people, treated 62,000 patients through their 24-hour emergency departments and helped deliver 2,700 newborns. 

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