Semillitas (“small seeds” in Spanish), a program of Ventures, is incentivizing families in Santa Cruz County to complete key health and education milestones for their children. Semillitas helps families get an early start at saving for children’s higher education while supporting their health and well-being.
Semillitas automatically enrolls each child born in Santa Cruz County into the savings account program at time of birth based on vital records, depositing an initial $50 “seed” for Medi-Cal members. Through financial support from the Alliance and other local organizations, children can receive additional contributions by completing specific health and educational milestones. As part of an Alliance grant-funded pilot, Medi-Cal members 0-5 years old receive $25 in their account every time they complete one of two designated health milestones for immunizations and well-child visits.
Parents and guardians can also make additional contributions to the child’s savings account and check progress through an online portal. These accounts do not impact public benefits or Medi-Cal eligibility.
To hear the story of program participants Juan and his daughter Alana, watch the Ventures video below. You can also learn more about the program on the Semillitas website.
