Mission

In keeping with our mission, PACCC seeks opportunities to develop funding resources and outreach for low-income families in the local community.

PACCC contracts with the City of Palo Alto and the State of California (through the Palo Alto Unified School District) to receive subsidized funding for qualifying families in exchange for quality child development services.

City of  Palo Alto Subsidy (CPA)

The city of  Palo Alto provides "low-income families with subsidies to acquire child care services. These child care services will enable parents to work or attend school and provide for their families, as well as support their children's developmental needs." These subsidized child care services are provided through PACCC child care centers, afterschool programs and PACCC affiliate centers.

For qualifying and application information, click here

State of California Department of Education (CDE)

The state of California provides child development subsidies for low-income families through the Child Development Division. The overall mission of the CDE is to provide "leadership, assistance, oversight and resources so that every Californian has access to an education that meets world-class standards."

For qualifying and application information, click here

Eligibility/Waiting List

Once a family completes and returns an Eligibility List Application, the family is ranked according to income and family size and placed on the waiting list for subsidized child care. Due to the great number of families at the middle to higher income levels (when compared to the state median income levels) in the Palo Alto area, the wait can be quite long for those families (i.e., 6 months to 2 years). However, for single parents and others ranking at the "low-income" levels, the wait may be as short as one month.

To keep your application updated, it is suggested that you call to report on any changes or check your waiting list status once every three months. Contact the Subsidy Coordinator, Diana Paulding, at (650) 493-2361, ext. 21 or email dpaulding@paccc.com

Remember, there are separate Waiting Lists for each process: one at each PACCC child care center or affiliate program and one for the Subsidy Program. While we make every effort to coordinate and cross-check these, it is the parent/primary caregiver's responsibility to locate space in a child care center separately from the subsidy program. It is recommended that you read the Waitlist Policy for our PACCC child care programs and communicate with the center Director regularly to acquire a space in the program.

Locating Child Care

Before you find funding, it is recommended that you place your name on waiting lists for child care in your area, as wait-time may be long and spots may become unavailable if you wait until the funding comes through. To locate a PACCC center, return to the  click on PACCC centers at the top left of this page. To locate child care in Palo Alto generally, the City of Palo Alto keeps an updated page of all care providers.  Click here to visit the city pages.

Alternative Payment Programs

If PACCC subsidy funds are unavailable, if you live outside an area served by PACCC, or if you would like to find alternative funding for any other reason, the following agencies/resources may be of assistance to you.

Choices For Children (408) 297-3295

4C's (Child Care Coordinating Council)
(408) 487-0747 (Santa Clara County)
(650) 655-6770 (San Mateo County)

CalWORKS (408) 928-3500
(California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids)

PACE (800) 541-9922
(Professional Association for Childhood Education)

Social Services (of your county)
Santa Clara County, San Mateo County
Many counties provide child care subsidies for foster children. Check with your county social services office for information.