Santa Maria resident Jessica Wasylychyn has temporarily cared for more than 35 children since she became a foster parent four years ago, and even in that short time, Wasylychyn said she’s learned to count her blessings.
“It’s so mind-blowing what these kids have not experienced that we take for granted,” Wasylychyn told the Sun. “Like the movies—some of these kids have never been to a movie.”
Others have never eaten at a restaurant or played sports outside of school, Wasylychyn said, and almost all of them have experienced some form of childhood trauma. So Wasylychyn was ecstatic when she heard about the Inspire Business Program, a collaboration between Santa Barbara County and various partnering businesses that offers foster parents and kids discounted and free services.
More than 50 Santa Barbara County businesses have signed on with the program since it was quietly launched in June 2017 by Our County Our Kids, a division of the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services. Twenty-two of those businesses are located in Santa Maria alone.
Although Wasylychyn said she hasn’t used the program yet, she’s most excited to get her kids a 50-percent-off four-hour attraction pass at Boomers! in Santa Maria.
“It’s amazing,” Wasylychyn said. “It really is for the kids. The more discounts we get, we use it for the kids, and they get to experience more than ever.”
Giving foster kids and their families, also known as resource families, a healthy and happy experience in the system is Matt Pennon’s goal. Pennon, a community recruiter and trainer with Our County Our Kids, said resource parenting can be costly and challenging without adequate support.
Through the Inspire Business Program, Pennon said businesses can help out resource parents and their foster children in a multitude of ways—each business can completely customize its offer. While some businesses offer discounts, others offer internships and jobs to working-age foster kids.
The impact can be massive, Pennon said. If just one alteration shop offers discounted or free tuxedo rentals and alterations to foster kids, that could enable dozens of local kids to attend a school dance they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford. Resource parents could take their kids out to partnering restaurants for discounted birthday dinners, or to see an art gallery for the first time.
“This is a way for businesses to sponsor, support, and work with the community at no cost to them,” Pennon said.
Partnering with the program is completely free for all businesses, the partnership agreement paperwork is simple, Pennon said, and lists of the partnering businesses are sent out to all local resource families and displayed online. If a partnering business is having a special sale or event, Pennon said Our County Our Kids helps advertize.
“It makes it really cool because it’s really a win-win situation,” Jeni Hurnblad, owner of Buellton Garage Automotive Repair told the Sun.
Buellton Garage, a family owned automotive repair shop, offers a 10 percent discount to all resource families in the county through the Inspire Business Program.
Hurnblad said the partnering process was easy. Once she partnered, Hurnblad said Our County Our Kids gave her a window decal, which all partnering businesses have, that notifies resource families of the Buellton Garage discount.
“It was really a no-brainer for us,” Hurnblad said. “It’s just another way we can work at the ground level with the community to offer a resource for families to keep families healthy, happy, and safe.”
Staff Writer Kasey Bubnash writes School Scene each week. Information can be sent to the Sun via mail, fax, or email at mail@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 7, 2018.