Quick Take
Santa Cruz County’s Semillitas program is helping families build wealth for their children from birth, by offering every newborn since 2021 a college savings account with up to $500 in potential deposits. Run by Ventures in partnership with 16 local organizations, the program ties savings growth to health, dental and parenting milestones. Semillitas director Crystal Gonzalez and former Santa Cruz mayor Ryan Coonerty write that Semillitas is more than a financial tool — it’s “a statement of community values” and a model for equity-based investment in children’s futures. More than 12,000 local kids already have over $1 million saved toward college.
Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.
Families across Santa Cruz County face real challenges — cuts to essential programs, immigration struggles, and growing division that is making it harder to build opportunity for their children. At the national level, proposals like Trump Accounts show growing momentum for child wealth-building, but without intentional design rooted in equity and access, these efforts risk reinforcing the very disparities they aim to address.
Here in Santa Cruz County, Semillitas is a program from Ventures committed to rural Latine working-class families’ economic power and financial independence. Semillitas is building something different, grounded in inclusion, dignity and equity. This approach matters because it shows every child belongs in secondary education and deserves the tools to get there. It’s more than a savings account, it’s a statement of community values and a collective investment in our children’s future, made possible through the partnerships and local agencies that believe every child in Santa Cruz County should have the opportunity to thrive
Here’s how it works. Semillitas is a children’s savings program that gives every child born in Santa Cruz County a college savings account. If your child was born on or after Jan. 1, 2021, they already have one. Families receive an initial $50 deposit at birth, and by completing milestones like health and dental visits or parent workshops, children can grow their savings up to $500 by age 5. Semillitas’ seed deposits and milestone contributions are funded by a combination of state, county, and local partners, as well as private donors and funders.
To date, Semillitas has opened over 12,000 accounts for kids, with more than $1 million invested in the futures of Santa Cruz County children. Ventures, a nonprofit company, is in charge of the funds, which Semillitas puts in a ScholarShare 529 account in your child’s name. This is transforming how we welcome babies into our county by investing in their dreams and building a stronger community together.
Children’s savings accounts offer powerful steps toward economic justice, educational access and generational opportunity. Research from SEED for Oklahoma Kids shows that children with a college savings accounts, when they have only small amounts of money, are three times more likely to go to college and four times more likely to graduate from college, especially for communities that have historically been excluded from such pathways.
Semillitas is an example of how a community can come together to invest in its children.
The program partners with more than 16 local organizations from dental clinics and medical providers to early childhood educators, government agencies, community-based organizations and the Santa Cruz County Office of Education to make saving a shared effort. When families take their children to Dientes or Salud Para La Gente for their first-tooth or first-birthday dental visits, those clinics contribute to the child’s account.
Families with Medi-Cal receive additional deposits from the Central California Alliance for Health for completing baby immunizations and wellness checks. And by attending Triple P Parenting or financial capability workshops, parents can earn even more deposits. Together, these milestones add up — showing what’s possible when a community invests not just in children’s savings, but in their futures.
These opportunities make a difference only if families know about them and are able to access the support they provide.
Every child born in Santa Cruz County on or after Jan. 1, 2021, is automatically enrolled for a Semillitas account, no application needed. Newborns receive a seed deposit, and families can earn more through health, dental and parenting milestones.
At the state level, CalKIDS gives every California newborn born on or after July 1, 2022, and public school students from low-income families an automatic scholarship account with up to $1,500 in deposits
Here’s how families can take action today:
- To claim Semillitas funds: Visit Semillitas.org and click “Get Started.”
- To claim CalKIDS funds: Visit CalKIDS.org and click “Claim Scholarship Account.”
Let’s keep planting seeds for kids’ dreams, and ensure every child in Santa Cruz County grows with confidence and hope.
Together, we are building a shared and prosperous future, one where a child’s potential isn’t limited by their ZIP code, race, gender or immigration status.
Crystal Gonzalez is the director of Semillitas.
Ryan Coonerty is a former Santa Cruz mayor and county supervisor. He has taught legal studies and politics at UC Santa Cruz for more than 20 years.