Grantee Spotlight: Palo Alto Community Child Care
A Commitment to Accessible Child Care and Education for All
Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC) was founded on the principle that every child deserves quality, accessible education and care. For 51 years, PACCC has served families in partnership with the City of Palo Alto, Palo Alto Unified School District, California Department of Social Services, and the California Department of Education, providing and advocating for exceptional, inclusive, and accessible education and care for children that enables parents to stay in the workforce.
Earlier this month, they celebrated the expansion of their Downtown Children’s Center to include Infant-Toddler Programming—growth that marks the first step towards building child care capacity in anticipation of increasing housing density in the San Antonio Corridor as a result of Alta Housing’s Lot D Development.
“This is our first step in acknowledging that there's going to be a need for infant, toddler, and preschool care downtown,” says Lee Pfab, “and we are strategically taking one step at a time to ensure that we can do quality and we can scale appropriately.”
A bright example of PACCC’s mission in action, this expansion shines a light on the ways in which PACCC’s leadership looks at the big picture with care and consideration, and their deep commitment to understanding of the communities they serve.
“I find it very important to be involved with the community, understand what's happening, so that we can continue to meet the community needs and not lock ourselves into the past, but look at where we're going in the future.”
One way PACCC has adapted to meet the diverse economic needs of Silicon Valley’s families is through its own financial assistance fund, support that captures families just outside the state’s income requirements, who still need support, giving children whose families are on the cusp access to the program’s rigorous, high-quality education and care.
“Our full fee and our subsidized families are all in the same programs,” shares Melissa Roth, Director of Programs. “We don't have specific centers based on how you're paying for care, and that ensures that everyone has the same access to the same education and care regardless of their ability to pay.”
As the state-licensed child care provider for the city of Palo Alto, PACCC is breaking down the stigmas associated with having child care in their name. Their program offers more than just “baby sitting” and instead involves a whole-child approach, with thoughtful curriculum led by qualified educators that speaks to the seven pillars of the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) program, an intuitive way to assess children as they learn and hit their milestones.
“Data shows that the children that are coming from PACCC programs are prepared for school,” says Melissa, “they have this baseline knowledge where they're ahead of peers, ensuring that they are successful, even into middle school and high school.”
To ensure this program continues to thrive into the future in the face of governmental funding uncertainties, PACCC is leveraging partnerships and staying involved—both Lee and Melissa spend their off hours serving on Board’s and task forces working to grow early education and strengthen relationships with allies and partners.
“It is a community effort, putting all of these resources together to ensure we can serve the total community,” says Lee.
You, too, can be a part of the community working to make quality child care and education a reality for all families in our region. Here’s how:
- Support the PACCC scholarship fund—100% of gifts to this fund go directly to families.
- Volunteer! Join a committee, serve on the Board, or become an advocate.
- Be vocal: remind your elected officials about the importance of accessible child care, not only for children, but for the economy.
