SANTA MARIA, CA, UNITED STATES, June 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) proudly awards the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation to Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County (CRR). To earn this certification, at least 80% of public-facing staff completed specialized autism and sensory training to strengthen their ability to confidently support, welcome, and assist every child, individual, and family who visits or participates in CRR programs and services. As part of the certification process, CRR also completed an onsite review through IBCCES to further enhance accessibility, sensory considerations, and inclusive practices across its locations.
Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County, including WINGS Infant Center & Preschool and the CRR Discovery Museum, serves thousands of children and families annually through programs grounded in a shared mission of strengthening families and building thriving communities through high quality, inclusive environments where every child is given the opportunity to learn, grow, and belong.
“At Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County, we believe every child deserves to experience a world that was built with them in mind,” said Michelle Graham, Chief Executive Officer of CRR. “Inclusion is about transforming communities, workplaces, schools, museums, and businesses so every individual feels seen, valued, safe, and capable of thriving. Becoming a Certified Autism Center™ reflects our commitment to moving beyond awareness and into meaningful action. We hope this work inspires other organizations and business leaders to recognize that inclusion is not only compassionate, but also innovative, forward thinking, and essential to building stronger communities for everyone.”
The CRR Discovery Museum hosts WINGS Sensory Nights on the first and third Saturday of each month from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM following public hours. These evenings offer free admission, reduced crowd levels, dimmed lighting, and a modified sensory environment designed to create a calm and welcoming experience for neurodivergent children and families.
Within WINGS Infant Center & Preschool, children of all abilities learn alongside one another through play, exploration, communication, and relationship-based experiences. This reflects a strong commitment to inclusive early learning environments where every child is valued, supported, and given opportunities to thrive. Research consistently demonstrates that inclusive early childhood environments strengthen empathy, social development, communication skills, and long-term educational outcomes for all children.
Across all CRR programs, teams are embedding training and practices designed to support sensory needs, communication differences, emotional regulation, and diverse developmental profiles. CRR also recognizes the immense value of building inclusive workplaces that celebrate differences, elevate diverse perspectives, and create meaningful opportunities for individuals of all abilities to contribute, lead, and thrive. The IBCCES certification framework includes ongoing staff training, continuous evaluation, and organizational commitment to strengthening accessibility, inclusion, and welcoming experiences for children, families, visitors, and team members alike.
“The future of our communities depends on our willingness to design environments where all children and families can belong, participate, and flourish,” said Jacquilyn Banta, Chief Operating Officer of CRR. “Neurodiversity is a strength to understand, support, and celebrate. At CRR, WINGS Infant Center & Preschool, and the CRR Discovery Museum, we are intentionally building spaces that reduce barriers, increase understanding, and create positive childhood experiences that can shape the trajectory of a child’s life. Our hope is that this certification becomes a catalyst that encourages other businesses, schools, and community organizations to ask themselves how they, too, can create environments where every person is welcomed with dignity, empathy, and opportunity.”
“Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County’s commitment to becoming a Certified Autism Center™ reflects a unified approach to creating more inclusive and supportive experiences for the families they serve,” said Myron Pincomb, Board Chairman of IBCCES. “By extending this effort across the entire organization, including WINGS Infant Center & Preschool and the CRR Discovery Museum, they are building a stronger foundation of accessibility that will positively impact children and families throughout the community for years to come.”
For 25 years, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.
To further support inclusivity efforts, Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-friendly spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone.
IBCCES also provides access to resources such as AccessibilityCertified.com and AutismTravel.com, which are free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met IBCCES certification requirements.
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About Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County
Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening families and communities by expanding access to high quality early care and education, supporting child care providers, and delivering innovative programs that meet the evolving needs of children and families. Through its integrated network of services, including child care resource and referral programs, financial assistance for child care, provider support and professional development, WINGS Infant Center & Preschool, and the CRR Discovery Museum, the organization serves thousands of children and families annually across Santa Barbara County. By connecting families to essential resources, expanding access to quality early care and education, supporting the child care workforce, and creating inclusive learning environments, CRR helps build stronger families, thriving communities, and brighter futures for all children.
About IBCCES
Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be industry leaders and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For 25 years, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 125 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.
In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors.
IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and AccessibilityCertified.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.
Meredith Tekin
IBCCES
+1 904-508-0135
marketing@ibcces.org
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