Birth and Perinatal Resources
Full Moon Birth and Family Wellness Center is the only non-hospital birthing center in the Monterey Bay. It provides birthing people and their families with a home-like atmosphere for their birth and experienced midwifery and doula care in a charming Craftsman house in Santa Cruz.
Birth Network of Santa Cruz County helps parents find local resources and providers for their childbearing needs.
Birth Network of Monterey County provides free Parenting 101 workshops as well as connections to local resources and providers.
Breastfeeding and Babywearing Support
Nursing Mother’s Counsel offers free services including prenatal breastfeeding classes and breastfeeding support provided by trained volunteers.
La Leche League of Santa Cruz County provides support for breastfeeding families, with special emphasis on the breastfeeding relationship and a Warm Line for breastfeeding questions: 831-425-3088.
Bay Area Babywearing is a volunteer group providing babywearing education, support and a lending library.
GroovaRoo Dance is a community-centered babywearing line dance class.
Mental Health Support
Family Service Agency of the Central Coast offers a variety of low- and no-cost family mental health services.
Family Tree Wellness offers mental health support for pregnancy, postpartum, fertility challenges, parenthood, trauma, loss and beyond in Los Gatos.
Perinatal Mental Health Coalition of Santa Cruz County provides information, resources and a warmline for parents experiencing postpartum stress.
Family Centers and Support
Raíces y Cariño: A Community Collective for Families is a multicultural center in Watsonville providing classes, groups, activities and services for families of all income levels.
The Circle Family Center offers a variety of classes and activities for families in Aptos.
Live Oak Community Resources provides a variety of low- or no-cost services to families in the East Santa Cruz/Live Oak/Capitola area, including counseling, tutoring, food distribution and public benefits enrollment assistance.
Parenting Connection of Monterey County provides bilingual services including parent-child activities, parenting education and wellness circles.
Publications for Families
Santa Cruz Parent Newsletter is a great source for information about local resources and family events.
Growing Up in Santa Cruz is another great source for information about local resources and family activities.
Classes for Parents and Kids
Fit4Mom provides fun and social outdoor exercise classes, playgroups, and events for parents and caregivers.
Positive Discipline Community Resources offers classes, support groups and other services to support parents, teachers, and service providers in learning to have respectful adult-child relationships.
KidPower offers personal safety education for all ages, teaching skills for strong relationships and the prevention of harm.
Additional Support
Semillitas offers free college savings accounts for all babies born to Santa Cruz County parents on or after January 1, 2021.
Siena House can provide safe housing for you if you are pregnant or have a baby. They provide a private bedroom and 24/7 support in downtown Santa Cruz.