The Orange County Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center, or OCCTAC, is a nonprofit at 2215 N. Broadway in Santa Ana. It was founded in 2000 and offers arts, academic and therapeutic programs for children, at-risk youth and their families.
Its mission, as posted by the organization, is to provide “innovative, artistic, educational and therapeutic programs” that help children and families reach their potential. OCCTAC describes itself as the first and only organization in Orange County to combine the arts, academics and creative therapies.
Programs
The organization’s listing on Idealist names these programs:
- After-School ARTS, with training in music, visual arts, dance, musical theatre and technology.
- Therapeutic Arts, offering music therapy, art therapy and expressive arts therapy for children with special needs.
- Early Start, serving children between 6 months and 2 1/2 years old, with and without disabilities.
Who it serves
OCCTAC’s Charity Navigator profile says more than 90 percent of the families it serves have very low incomes and come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Most live in Santa Ana or nearby cities including Anaheim, Tustin, Orange, Fullerton and Garden Grove.
In grant applications to the City of Santa Ana, the organization has said its classes include piano, guitar, harp, percussion and violin, and that it has served more than 10,000 young people since 2000.
Ways to support
OCCTAC lists class information, events and ways to give on its website, and its Idealist page lists volunteering as a cause area. Contact the center directly to confirm current volunteer needs.
Official site: https://www.occtac.org/
Verified 501(c)(3): Orange County Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center, EIN 33-0930891. This information comes from Charity Navigator as of September 2026.
Related: Muckenthaler Cultural Center is another Orange County arts nonprofit with community outreach.
This profile is part of The 824 Journal’s Nonprofit Spotlight series. See more in the Nonprofit Spotlight archive.
Sources
- Charity Navigator: Orange County Childrens Therapeutic Arts Center
- Idealist: Orange County Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center
- Idealist: OCCTAC programs listing
- City of Santa Ana grant application (OCCTAC)
