Encompass Community Services

11/11/2025

Thank you, courageous veterans, for your service to our country. Encompass will be closed today in honor of Veterans Day. 🇺🇸

🇺🇸 🇺🇸

11/05/2025

Attention South County Head Start families: Encompass has partnered with Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) to temporarily operate our early child development programs at several Encompass Head Start Watsonville sites. This partnership ensures that children can continue to benefit from education and nutrition services during the federal government shutdown and affected teachers and assistants will have access to employment opportunities.

Parents of enrolled Head Start and Early Head Start programs are encouraged to call the PVUSD Child Development Department at 831-786-8270 for more information on locations and registration.

This effort reflects Encompass and PVUSD’s shared mission to support Santa Cruz County children. While this collaboration helps bridge services during the federal shutdown, it is important to clarify that PVUSD is not taking over Head Start operations, nor is Encompass relinquishing its federal grant. Encompass will continue advocating for the release of federal funding so it can reopen classrooms and restore early education services as soon as possible.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4nDSFUM.

10/30/2025

Don't forget! Join us in the parking lot of the Encompass Thrive Hive this afternoon at 3pm for a Trunk or Treat! Can't wait to celebrate with you! 🎃👻

10/14/2025

It's almost Halloween! Join us on Thursday, October 30th from 3-5pm at the Encompass Thrive Hive parking lot for a trunk or treat! Bring the whole family, wear your costumes, and celebrate Hallo-Eve with us! See you there!

10/10/2025

It's World Mental Health Day. At Encompass, we are proud to provide mental health counseling to youth, teens, adults, and families across Santa Cruz County. If you are interested in learning more, visit encompasscs.org or call 831-469-1700 today. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.

10/07/2025

GREAT NEWS! Thanks to the swift collaboration of the County of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Faris Sabbah, and First 5 Santa Cruz County, Encompass Head Start and Early Head Start will remain open through October 31!
Together, these partners identified and secured critical bridge funding to keep our 15 classrooms open while long-term funding solutions are pursued. We are sincerely grateful to these partners as well as to our Board Chair, Elaine Johnson, for stepping forward so quickly to protect these vital programs.

Encompass continues to advocate with our federal representatives, including Congressman Jimmy Panetta, and the federal Office of Head Start to reinstate our full five-year grant and release previously approved carryover funds for next fiscal year. The government shutdown creates more complications, so please continue to contact your federal representatives to advocate for our full 5-year grant amount so that we can continue to serve and enroll over 250 children and families across the County. Thank you for your help and advocacy so far!

Read the full details here: https://bit.ly/47dIQYy.

10/02/2025

Make your voices heard! Call your representatives and urge them to fund your local Encompass Head Start program.

Joel Ryan, the executive director of the Washington State Association of Head Start, shares how proposed government funding deals could impact families depending on government assistance programs.

10/01/2025

We need YOUR HELP! Encompass' Head Start and Early Head Start programs are facing an immediate funding crisis due to sudden federal policy changes. Unless funds are restored, Encompass will be forced to close 15 classrooms, and lay off 95 staff, leaving hundreds of local children and families without critical support. How can you help? Use your voice! Call your federal representatives and urge them to have federal funding unblocked ASAP and restore the budget for next fiscal year to keep this vital community program going. Learn more by clicking on the link in our bio.

09/28/2025

Last weekend, our Si Se Puede staff attended Assemblymember Gail Pellerin's Care Fair in Santa Cruz. This community event is focused on mental wellness, connection, and healing in honor of Su***de Prevention Awareness Month. It brings together neighbors, advocates, and providers for a day dedicated to mental wellness, community support, and healing. Thanks to everyone who attended and stopped by our table to say "hi"! If you or a loved one is in need of behavioral health services, call Encompass at 831-469-1700. We're here to help.

***depreventionmonth

09/27/2025

The fourth Friday in September marks California Native Day. This day is intended to celebrate our Indigenous community members and bring awareness to the issues and triumphs faced by the Indigenous peoples of California. California is home to a wide variety of tribal groups, and each tribe has a rich and varied culture and history with a common thread of resilience and survival.

Today the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band represents the surviving descendant families of more than 20 distinct groups who lived in what is now the counties of Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, and Santa Clara.

If you find yourself at the Cotoni-Coast Dairies, where hiking and biking trails were recently opened to the public, know you are enjoying the ancestral lands of the Cotoni Tribe (pronounced chuh-TOE-knee). The Bureau of Land Management, which manages the site, collaborated with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and other community partners to develop the site and provide educational material to visitors.

09/22/2025

September is Su***de Prevention Month. Preventing su***de means understanding risk, accessing supportive, proven care, and sharing hope because healing is possible. With the right support, people can heal, build resilience, and thrive after crisis. If you or someone you know is in trouble, call or text #988. Please know that Encompass' mental health counselors are always here to help you recover and heal. ***deprevention ***depreventionmonth ***deawareness

09/18/2025

It's National Hispanic Heritage Month! Celebrated from September 15th – October 15th, this month honors the histories and cultures of Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. ‘Hispanic’ is a term used to denote descendants from a Spanish-speaking country, and ‘Latinx’ or ‘Latine’ is a gender-inclusive term which also broadens the scope to include Brazil.

Over a third of Santa Cruz County’s population is Hispanic/Latinx, which makes this month-long celebration a wonderful opportunity to check out your local Hispanic/Latinx supermarkets or farmers market vendors, try a new-to-you restaurant in your area, support a Hispanic/Latinx-owned bakery, store, pop-up, or café, or read a book by a Hispanic/Latinx author. We encourage you to engage with your community through education about multiculturalism, and understanding the significant contribution of the Latinx community locally and beyond.