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July 30, 1992
THE HONORAELE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alt~, California
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IMPLEMENTATION OP THE caJLD CARE J-f..Ja.Sl'_~R PL~-STATUS REPO~ __ ',I.:
Xembers of tbe Council:
REPORT IN Bl!.J __ ~l.
This report provides
Child Care Master
Coordinator's Office
"Work plan.
BACkGROUND
an uydate on the imple.'t'.entation cf the City's
Pla.n. C.l>.ttach:l1snt 1). Tn.e chi ld Care
is nc· ... at the midway point of the five year
In March 1986. the Palo Alto Child Care 'ras).: Force was established
by action of the Cit:t council. 'l'heir chayge was to "increase the
supply of quality, afforoable child care in palo Alt.o by fostering
broadly based public and private involv€::!1ent... The two major
recommendations !"rom this group were to establish an ongoing chi"old
Care Task Force and to develop, in conjunction .... ith Palo Alto
COI:'l1Tlunity Child Care {PACCC), a Child Care Master Plan (or the
City.
In July 1989, the City hired its first Child Care Coordinator
througrl a. grant. from the State Department of Education. In
February 1990, the Child Care Coordinat.-:-.r becaEe a full-time
e:::;ployee under the a~.~spices of the H' .. Hnan Services Division,
Department of co::nmunity Services. Thii:; position and other child
care-related activities are funded through the Utility Users) Tax,
per the Cubberley lease agreement. To date, there are
approximately 50 city/county Child Care Coordir.ators throughout the
state of california.
The City's Child Care Master Plan, written by the yhild Care Task
Force with assistance from Palo .~lto Conll';~unity Child Care (PACCe)
and the City's child Care coordinator I .. 'as adopted by the city
Council on December 18, 198 9 ~ The Master Plan highlights four
areas for 'Which one-year and five-year goals have been outlined:
Availability, Affordability. Accessibility, and Quality. At the
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time tf'.at: Council approved the Ci1ild Care :p.f·3ster Plan. Council
dir~cted staff to return with a report cescribing the comprehensive
child care neo:ds found in t_he corununity. From the fall of 1989
through the .... ·inter of 1991, the Child Care coordinator con-:1ucted
thre.e needs assEssments: a child care provider su.rvey, an employer
survey, and an employr:e!ccr.1:rnunity survey (CMR:190:91). .M'ijor
findings of these needs asseSSfficnts were as fol1o~s:
1) Availability: There is a nigh demand for 1icensed child
care spaces which is not currently being met;
2} Affordability: Palo }I,lto child care rates are a~ong the
highest in the nation, due in pert to the high cost of
living in the Say _~rea, thoe attentioI". to quality and the
high ratios of staff to children;
3) Accessibility: Child care prograr.:s and services :must be
promoted throughout the City '50 that pc..lo Alto residents
and employees are aware of their options;
4} Pl:og.H)m Quality: High staff turnover (appyoximately 42i;
nationally), due to the traditionally low compe~sation, is
the single largest factor in determining quality in a child
care program~
ll1\J!RATIYJ:
The following is a summary of the progress made by the City's Child
Care Coordinator and the Palo Alto Child Care Task Force to'wr.'ard
fulfilli~g the recommendations and goals outlined in the Master
Plan:
Year ._.l":~ ,july 1989 -June~J~.jlo
Ava.ilability
L Approximately 150 school-age spaces ';.rere created with the
opening of after-school progra!:15 at seven of the eleven Palo
Alto elem~nt3ry schools.
I!.ftordability
1. Council approved $255 1 000 for Palo Alto Community Child care
(PACCCJ to provide child care subsidies for income-eligible
families.
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2. An informatio~al packet was ~ev~lcpcd for emplo~'ers rega~ding
Dependz~t Care Assista~ce Progra~5 (DeAP) and was di3tributed
to all businesses in Palo Alto ~ith 25 or ~ore e~ployees.
Accessi:bility
1. The Community Coordinated Child D~velcpment Council of santa
Clara cot:r.ty, In'::. (-<;C·s) est.ablish~d a N'orth Co~.mty office in
Palo Al t-:, f-:'r in:crc:a~ion and l:"'6ferral and no:cruit!!'.ei"'lt of
family ddY car~ Froviders.
2. Tne Child Ca:=--e T~sk Force sp.onsored its first PARE.NTFORUM, a
child care fair, for the dissemination of chilj care options
in Pale Alto.
J. The child Care Task Force o~ganized and held its first annual
Friends of Child Care .~;·:ard Event, highlighting positive steps
taken bj' individuals in the public and private sectors in
responding to their employees' child care needs.
Quality
1. A 55,000 qran~ was a~arded ~o the 4C's by the City, through
its Child Care Trust F~nd, fo~ the develop~ent of fa~ily day
care homes and training for family day car~ providers in Palo
Alto, as part of t.he Cr;ild Care Initiative Program (elP).
2. F'J.nding has obtained froP.'. the Sant.a Clara county Community
Foundation's Palo Alto Fund for accredit:.at.ion fees tot" child
care centers undergoing the National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation process.
),vailabi1ity
1. Approximately 160 additional s':-hcol-a.ge child care spaces ',,",ere
created at the renajning fo~r elementary school sites.
2~ A $150, DOG put'li..:-benefit contrib,..:t.lcn ... 'as received f:::-om a
local retil est,:'!.t.s-jev~loper tOI":3rds a proposed aO\o,'ntO'!..'!1 child
care facilitY"_ Tr.-ese fun.d.s ·"..'111 reside in th~ Facility
Develop~ent sub-acca~nt oi the Clti's Child Care Fund.
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Aff"o.rdability
1. Ccuncil appr>J\/ej $;;:'53.D~I~ for P.~CCC t:o pn~vide child care
subsijics far inco~e-eli~ible families.
2. 'l'l".e Child C"!re Cocrdina.tcr' 5 office and tr..E" 1" In:!l .. ce DeparLT,ent
established an EXPE:fl·::!iture Tn..;st Account, the city's child
Care fund, tc h:n.l.S·2 "i':',::\l'.les raisej by tbe Child Care Task F':lrce
for the purpose of pro~oting and expanding child care options
in Palo .~lto and l!:':pler.,enting ttE City's Child Care Master
Plan.
3. Planning effa~ts te-a'::idres5 '::"]-lild cere needs ot ~o;:]eless
children were initS~ted.
Accessibility
1. The City I 5 ferDst" en i 1 d care CODrdinator. as a member of the
child Care: Subccrr,!':'.ittee of the 5·anta Clara Count 1"
lnt-~ergovern!'t',ental Council (IGC), assisted in the d€:velop-rnent
of lichild Care Options; A Guide for Employers." The guide ~as
distributed to all businesses in Santa Clara County with over
25 employees.
2. 'rne Child Care Tas}-: Fc:--ce on:;:a.ni zed and held the City I S second
an:1udl P}l..F:EtHF'ORUl-I.
Quality
1. The City provided a 52,50Q grant to S~nta Clara ,C's for the
develop~ent of fa~i]y day care ho~es and training for family
da~ care providers in Palo Alto as part cf the Child Care
Initiative Progra.r.: (CIF}.
2. The San~a Clara Ccu~ty Cc~~unity found3tian's Palo Alto Fund
continued subsidizing a~credltation fees paid by child care
centers ~ndergo~ng th~ NAEYC accreditation process.
3. Staff and the Child Care Task Force advocated for the
rr;ainte!"lance of 1 ic-en.sl.r.g stal,j·:uds for fi':rily day c:!re homes,
resulting in continu8~ state funding for the Family Day Care
licensing budget.
The second nFriends of Chi
to honor contributio~5 by
advan·.;;e qual ity chi 10 c.are
held.
C.P.'cR:JJ5:9)
d Care Award Breakfast," designed
ndivid~a15 or organizations which
n ~h6 cc~rnunity, was organized and
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s. The "!~aster Caregiver A',','a~d Bt'"<i:.dXfa:s.t, II designed to recognize
excellence in the child care profession, was organized and
held.
6. An annu.al salary ar.d cc'.-.pel'.satic-n surve:l for child care
pro\liders ',)35 conduct.ej for the p'...lrpose of developing a model
salary and compensation schedule.
AVailability
L Staff n.egatiated w'ith ?al-:' Alto Co~:munit:"· Child Care (P,\CCC)
and Palo Alto Unifiej Scheel District (PAVSD) to provide
additional cla5SrOQ~S for school-age programs to accommodate
additional children currently on waiting lists.
Affordabil i ty
1. Council approved $253,000 in subsidy funds for child care tor
lc\\'-ir::co~e far..ili~s. Th~ Palo Alto Ccmmunity Child Care
(PACCC, subsidy eligibility quide.lincs '""ere redefined to
con for!':" .... ·i th rE'co::i1':1€:ljati.::ms oLltl ine.,j in the City audit of
Novembe r 14" 1 9 9 1 .
?~ Fundin-q · ... 'dS obtained fro,,: Ca",.,:ll . .:.nity Development Block Grant
(CDBG) for a pilot hameless child care r-rogral"!1. The funds
received for this r:;-=-ograffi through the City's CDSG progrdTtl will
reside in thE' Supt:'iJrt &. Affordao il i ty sub-account of the Child
Care Fund.
Accessibility
1. Palo Al t.o' s t.hi rd a r,)"; t..;e. 1 ?~,.Rr:!,·TFOp.Ur·: -..,cas .organized ana held in
conjunction ~ith ra~ily 2000.
Quality
1. Pale Alto's first Worthy ~;age event, designed to raise wages
af child cara teachers and st~ff, ~as organized and held.
:2. The sec.or:j annua.l II]-:aster Ca'regiver .~'",·ard BreaJ<.fast'l -.. 'as
organiz~d and held.
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3. The thir-d annual "Trie'1rj~-of Ch:ld Ca::-e A'~!a=-d BreaKfast" · ... 'as
organized a~j held.
4. }. question:-:aire fo':" crJild care c~~.t-=rs, to detetTI'i:1£ the ::,eed
for psychol oq t·:-,,, 1 tC·;,.,'al· .... a ti C'ilS ;;;:'"ld cau ...... sel i 'J'~ serlo'ices, ',""as
developed and jistrjt~~ej.
The Child Care Task Farce rEvie~s its acco~plisl:ments and sets net
go~ls annually to respcnd to the changi~g child care needs of the
cOIrGl'itmity. The Chlld Care T<>sl<: ForcE> has e:stabli5hed the follo",ing
goals for July 1992 -June 1993.
).vailability
I. Participate in the r8visio~ of th~ City's Coroprehe~sive Plan
to include languaga relating to child care and land use.
2. Advocate for consideration of t~e development of an infant
child care cente!" O!"J the .... :ell site at. .;1::-;0. Street a:!1d
Ha\.,rthcrne Avenue, continge:-~t c;n the c-.'ailabilit~{ of the
neighboring parcel.
3. Begin the planning prncEo~S fe':-the O<.)\;rnto·,.;n Child Care Center.
4. Coordina-:'e <.,ith
school-ago; sL:·ts
P.~.l''3D "to ,'J.ssess the need for addi ticmal
and add extC·;i capac it)' ·",he~e ;,,;art"anted.
Affcrdability
1. lmple~ent ho~el@ss child care p~ograrn.
2. Encocrage emplc::'€'.cs to adc-pt child care-~elate,j benefits.
3. Advocate for legislation ~h~c~ provides fina~cidl incentives
for e~.ploy2rs int'2rested i~. develcping e:-.ployer-supported
child Cdre options.
4. De.velop fundrdlsing st:t:""ate':JY to
City's Child Care F\.:.nc. Dc\elop
Fur:d.
incrc3.se c.3pi tal for
criteria for accessing
the
the
5. Continue ~o ~ork ~ith ths Veterans Administration Hospital to
conduct a sttJdy of i~s ne~ on-site Ctild Gare Center and its
effec"ts on e~~:0yee5' producti~ity.
Accessibility
1. Part.ic~pate jr. trte PalD Alto Char".ber of Commerce "15092
Business ~xpot' C0 increase a~:areness of child care options in
the b~siness cc~~uni~y.
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2. CODt"dirate ,,, .. i.th PACS~>'s : .. :crkin'3" g!:"cup to ·')ssess child care
need for chi!dren ~ith s~e~ial needs.
3. Devt?lop a Child. Car~ TdSY. FOt"ce bt"och·<.lre to increase awareness
in the coro~unity reget"ding Task Force ~cti~ities.
Quality
1. Cvnti~ltle to ",:v.:ouraSi€ accr-:-ditati0,: of child care centers and
large fa~ily d~y care homes i~ Palo Alto.
2. Continwe to f:1~C 1 ic ize le ... ·~:;:'3es of crdld care :;t.atf in su.pport
of the goals of th€ ~Drthy ~age Campaign.
3. Participate in a ,Public infor!':1at ion cart',pa ign in coor::iination
with City-funJed human service age~ciE5.
4. Develop a Chilj Care Ft'o~iders Net~'ork to provide a vehicle
for inforrnatic~ and rescu~ce sharing among Falo Alto's Child
Care F-l'O"l." j ders.
The Child Care Master Plan outlines the steps ~hich the Child Care
Task Force believes are necessary to provide a model child care
syste~ in Palo Alto. As a result of tne Council's ~ndorsement of
the Master Plan and its strong support for its imple~ent3tion, Palo
Alto nas emerged as a le,'Sode!' a.'':'IDng cities addressing their
co;r.mimities I child c;;.;re ne~ds. Becau~,e of the City's Changing
demographics and the i~cr~~s? af ~DMen in the work force, the need
for qua] it.y child c,~.rE' ;:;on~inLJe!'S t:o incn"ase~ The demand for
quality child care fJ.!' ex::eeds its availability~ Citywido:?:
coordination of child ca~e iE critical ~o the success associated
with achieving the gG31s established in ~he Master Plan.
Child ca~~ i! a regfcnal iss~e, due to the f~ct that parents often
select child care ~JS~J en prcxf~iti to their ~crk location, rather
than their r;c"::-e. It: has b.,;.>cone i;l,ppd.n:dlt th'Olt employers must play
a vital role in sup~crting chi!d care options for their employees.
Ma~y cities arounj the nation 3re drawing the connection between
decisiQns affectl:--:g LJ:""j '-1se and pr-cpe!'"ty d€velop~ent and how· those
decisions ~ay e~.l~L:-L.lt~ the need for additional child care
fac~lities ~n the ~·~:.·_nity.
The successful i.:-j..~,.-~';;t,·Jti,m cf the Ch~,ld Care Naster Plan is
dependent on th\, C~:i'~ ~~n~i~ued support of the work of the Child
Care Tas;': Fo~'::,·c· Me . .J ".:' l' C,;l~j Car-€: Coordinator's Oftice. In order
(C'r trJe cr-.ild CJr-t.· ,:,;'.·c\,.i-ce delivery syste:-:J to fUnction in an
optimal fas,hi:'n, tr~(.· C~tJ' ~1.~5t cD:'ltinLle its efforts to encourage
collaborative alll~~~£~' let~een che public and private sectors and
to ccntinue to pco~ iJc £tr-~ns le~der5hip in meeting the child care
needs of its CG~~un~~~'.
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staff t"€Ccrctr..ends tha'C Cc-unc'il ji.rect stdIt to contiT".'J.e t-c '",'ork -lIJith
the Child Ci.":ire Tas~: fO:::-C8 in i;",p'le!':l!'?,r.ting tl",e rer:aining goals of
the Cityis Chi}j Care ):aster ~lan.
Respectfully s0b~ittej,
':r ) ,-, ,"\ \£.is,'c:t.L ') i
Plan
F.elated CHP'S: :·<;;2:S'
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Attachment 1
City of Palo Alt.
C:II 2 L D C A It E IIAS!'!!1t P LAN
~.v.lope4 ~J the
Palo Alto Child Car. ~a.k Porce
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Palo Alto Community Child Care
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'rULE OP CONTENTS
Xatro4uctioD ~4 Background
Vision 8t&t ... ut
The Need to~ Cbi14 Care
Defi=itions -Report pram.vork
~. Plan ~or Palo Alto ~ One an4 rive Ye4r Goals
an4 R.ooBmand.tiona
AVailable Child Care
Atfor~&bl. Obil~ Car.
Accessible Child Care
Quality Child Core
App .. "dix A Council J..ctiOll
Appendix B Batiooal Association for the Education of
YOUllg Cbil4ren (lOone) Acoreditation for
Hiqb Quality Early Childhood pr~qr&Ds
Appendix C Palo Alto Child care N.e~8 A,e ••• ment Sources
App.nllix D Division ot R •• ponsibilities to Aebieve
Kaster PlaD One Year Goals
Appen,Ult E Oepen4ent Care Assist.nee Plan
Appa.uHz l' current Cbi14 care Services in P&lo Alto
1
3
5
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8
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12
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20
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I. YIITRODt7CTIOII
The Palo Alto Child Care Task Fcrce ~as established by action of
the City Council on March 3, 1986. Council ~ember. Ellen Fl~tcher
introduced the motion because of her concern that in spite of the
substantial investment in child care made by the City, Palo Alto
residents and employees still experienced serious difficulties in
securing care for their children. She belie"/ed it fJas time for
the City to take an active role in stimulating Palo Alto
employers to contribute toward meeting the child care needs of
their employees ..
The Council's action directed Mayor Mike cobb to fo~ a Child
Care Task Force of lS members, representing a broad base of
employers and or9aniza~ions concerned vith child care in Palo
Alto. Mayor Cobb invited nominations from these groups, and
l",ppointe.d.. members of the Tas)c Force in accordance 'With the
guidelines sU9gosted by Council.
The Task Force vas asked to recommend to the City ways of
encoura,ging more active. participation by local employers in
a,ssist-inq employees with their child care needs. In addition,
the Task Force was to determine the most effective WdY of
establishing a child care resource and refe.rral ser~ice for
people 'Who live a-n'3./or 'Work in Palo Alto. The Task Force 'Was
asked to report its findings to the City couf'i.cil \.lith-in six
months, and to include an assessment of the need tor child care
in Palo Alto in its report.
Mayor Cobb convened the Task Force May 6, i9S6~ At its second
meeting, the Task Farce adopted the following statement of
purpose: T~ increase the supply of quality, affordable child
care in Palo Alto ~y fosterin9 broanly based public and private
involvement.
In the course of their vorx, Task Force members reviewed the
~ttortl5 and actions of ether-cities in California with respect
to child care, heard from local child care experts on areas of
qreatest need, reviewed trends in employer support for child
care, and compiled a large body of resource mater-ialE. A
preliminary set of r-ecornmendatJons was prepared in November I
1986, and comments ... 'ere sol icited from City staff and local
employer.s.. A consultant ~as then hired to prepare a final
report.
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Two of the recommenc1atlo11S from that report were to .:2!stablish ",n
onqoin9 Child Care Task Force and draft a Hester Plan tor child
care in Palo Alto. The City coun=il endorsed that concept in a
resolution on June 8, 1987 (see Appendix A). In January 1988 a
permanent Child Care Task Force was convened and# in conjunction
with Palo Alto community Child Care (PACCC), this Child Care
Master Pltin has been developed.
The other recommendations from the report to City Council ~ere:
1. Create a Chil~ Car~ Fund and Business Advisory Committee as e
Means to actively seek donations of funds, sites, services,
and equipment from ~he business community to benefit child
care in Pale Alto.
2~ Establish a fee on new or expanded commercial or industrial
development, similar to the In-Lieu Housing Mitigation Fee.
3. Improve community-wide child care resource and referral by
working with the community Coordinated child Care of Santa
ClaLa (4CS) to establish a North County branch office which
could be housed at the Palo Alto Il".formatio:'"1 and Referral
service (PAAIRS).
4~ Meet specific identified needs for infant care and school-ag~
child care:
5. The city •. in order to become a more effective advocate for
employer support of child care, should cantinue to be a .model
eaployer with reqard to its own personnel policies and
benefits.
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·this Child C.are Master Plen i6 desigr.-.i.d to be a blueprint (or
bu11dinq a model chil::! care. system in Palo Alto. The long term
90a1 of tha Child Care Master Plan is to make quality child care
available. 4ttordable and accessible to all infants, toddlers,
preschoolers, sch~1-age, handicappea and recuperating children
who nee~ t~at child care and whose parents live and/or ~ork in
Palo Alto.
This Kdster flan views a model child care system as one in Yhich
parents, as the decision makers in their child's life. ~ave
tlAXiml,lJll choice as to location, hou.rs., fees, and t.:tpe of program.
A model child care systeE preserves and strengthens the family
unit in the community while taking into account the eccnomic
realities and practical demands faced by parents ~ho want to live
or work in Palo ~~to. A 900d child care situation car. enhance
the quality ot f _ly lif&, productivity in the ~crx place and
diversity in the ~c~unity.
As a city 1 Palo Alto has historically provided innovative and
excellent progra~s for i~s citizens; public education l recycling,
an~ senior services are but a fe~ examples. Pale Alto ~as a
front runner in the fiQld of puDlic support for child care
throu9h its early involvement in and financial support for Palo
Alto COMmunity Child Care. It is ti~e for Palo Alto to once
a9ain act in its pioneering tradition ~nd make another ma)o~
effort to improve child care services in this community. This
Master Plan is a step toward that goal.
In order to succeed, this plan Yill require an extraorainary
coalition of and ~ollaboration among various sectors of the
community, including:
l~ pr1v&~e -Local businesses r industry, corporations;
individual advocates.
2. PUblic -City governments, school districts, libr~riesl
recr-eation departtlents, county, state; and federal agencies.
). Xcn-Profit -~gencie51 foundations, civic and philanthropic
providers.
4. Cbild Care provi4.ra -Non-profit ana proprietary centers,
in-home providers.
5. Parents -Parents in all ethnic 1 economic, and demographic
groups living and/or ~orking in Palo Alto.
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While the efforts of all th~ above groups need to be expAnded and
p$:rhllps t.a.ke ney direct.ions~ private bl,lsiness support for .::hild
care need: to be e. s-pecial focus~ While caring for children has
in the past been outside the purvie~ of business and industry,
demographic changes and changes in the ~ork force now dictate
that it be seen as part of the cost of doing business. Ways ~ust
be found for private business to playa larger role in suppo~tinq
child care.
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III. TIIJl QED rOR C!!ZLD CARl!
The most important deterzinant of demand for child care is the
proportion 0= mothers of young children in the labor force. The
.increased employment cf the~e ~omen has been one of the most
dramatic social changes affecting family life since 1970. There
are t .. o main reasons tor this change. First, most families need
tvo wage earners in order to maintain a standard of living that
was possible wit~ one ecployed parent t~o decades ago. This
factor is especially important in areas where housing costs are
high, such ~s in the Bay Area~ Second, the proportion of all
families headed by single parent~ has increased dra~atically
during this same tiae period, and now constitutes 26 percen~ of
~ll families with chilaren under age 18 (Schreiner, 1966).
Single parents are more likely to be employed and to rely on
child care provided outside their homes by non-relatives.
The majority of working mothers are no ..... emploj'ed full time:
71 percent of those with childLen under 16, and 65 percent of
those ~ith children under age three (V.S. Women's Bureau, 1985).
In Addition, women are taking oft ir.creasingl~ less time with the
birth of their children. While wom~n used to be encouraged to
stay home at least ~ntil their children started school, many now
return to their jobs after SiK weeks maternity leave. This
change is -2flect~d in some dramatic statistics. In MarchI 1985,
almost 50 ~rcent of married ~cmen with children under one year
ot age worr-ed. outside the home, up from 39 percent five }'ears
earlier, and more than double the rate in 1970 (Rayghe, 1986,.
Using currently aVailable information in conjunction with broadly
used demog,aphic formulas (see Appendix C), it is estimated that
in Palo Alto there are 562 infant:; and toddlers compe_ting for 441
licensed spaces, and 1,640 school-age chilaren competing for 805
before-and-atter-school spaces. ~~ile the supply of pre-school
spaces is more abundant than infant or school-age spaces,
ceaningful figures are not available due to the lack cf
distinction between day care for three-and four-year-olds 'With
working parents, and care for thri!e-ang fO-.Jr-year-olds 'Who are
enrolled for enrichment purposes. It is noteworthy that these
striking figures do not include parents who work in Palo Alto but
live elsewhere and who seek child care near their place of work.
Options for mildly ill or recuperating children are virtually
nonexistent in Palo Alto. These extrapolated statistics indicate
that the largest area of u~met need is after-school and infant
toddlEr care.
While the Task Force feels confident that the above needs do
exist in Palo Alto~ it recognizes that documentation in so~e
cases is inadequate. The majn reason tor this is that there are
several agencies ~hich provide child care resource and referral
to different segments of the co~rr.unity; therefcre~ data are
fragmented and difficult to compare. A high priorjty tor the
first year of work after approval of the Master Plan is to
conduct a compre~ensiye child care needs assessment of families
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who live and/or work in Palo Alto. Such a survey viII help the
Child C~re Task Force de~ermine its priorities.
When :fa~ilies do not find chile: care tl':at is a.vailable .hen they
need it, affordable within their budgets, comrenient in location
and hours, and of is qtJlllity ",'ith 'Whl.::h they feel cO!!1fortable
there is unmet need.
Consequences of unmet need show up in many ways. Examples are;
1. Women who wish to return to York after the birth of a child
may not be able to resume york ~t the planned time if infant
car-a cannot be found. Thi!:-can be costly to employers, who
lese valuable, trained workers, as well as to fa,milies who
depend on the mother's income to provide basic n~eds~
2. Parents who cannot find child care either near their homes or
their work places must add to their already long commute
times in order to use available care4
3. Parents may ~e forced to choose a child care arrangement ~ith.
which they are not satisfied~ resulting in stress and lowered
proauctivity on th& job.
4. Parents ~ho at first f.ind adequate child care I!'I.ay learn that
their provider then decides to leave the .field, causin9 them
to begin the search again. The stress and time loss
associated wIth frequent changes in child care is costly and
disruptive to both employers ~nd families.
5. Parents of school-age children who cannot find child care
near their homes, often are forced to leave their chilaren
home unattended during the workday.
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IV. DEFINITION~
This Haste: Plan uses the four areas defined bElow as an
orqa.nizinq frame.ork for stating bott", ;"eed. as it now exists in
palo Alto, and qoals which will move the community to~a!d a model
child care system.
QUality child care, either home-based or center-based I that
is obtainable ~hen needed.
Child care tailored to meet the diverse needs of fa~ilies
living a~d working in Palo Alto.
Child Care that is well coordinated th~oughout the City by a
central agency or office.
Quality child care that is available to all fa!!'.ilies who need
it, reqardless of income.
ACCES8~BLE CB,LO CARE
Quality child care alternatives that ~~e geog~aphically
convenient, withjn ~ reasonable distance of home or work
sites.
Child care offered at appropriate times.
Resou~ce and referral services th~t can link families in
need of child care with appropriate alternatives.
Child care that enc;;;;.ur.::.ges a cooperative, informative, a.nd
supportive collaboration between parents and child care
providers.
Child care proviQed by trained staff that m~ets the physical~
social, anQ psycholoqical needs of children ~ho must spend
time away from tbeir par~nts/family.
~~ild care that is responsive, interactive, nurturing, and
develop~ent411y appropriate.
Child care that meets or moves toward criteria as ou~lined by
the National Association for the Education of Yeung children
(NAEYC) (see Appendix B), and Palo Alto Comr.:unity Child Care
(PACCCl·
Child care that is well coordinated throughout the City by a
central agency or office.
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V. !rKE PLAlI
The Child Care Master Plan identities one-year and five-ye~:
goals designe~ to address the needs reccmmendatians identified in
tlie previous section. Responsibility for i~plementinq these
goals will be shared hy Palo Alto Community child Carel the
Child Care Task Force, the city of Palo Alto anc Chil~ Care
coordinat.or. as outlined in Appendix D. Each year, prior to the
city Budqet process, the Child Care Task Force ~ill review and
evaluate the Froqre$s in implementin9 and achieving the one-year
goals~ As ~ result of this assessment l the five-year goais ~ill
be revised~ and the next set of one-year qoals will be
est.ablished~ The Child Care Task. Force liIr"ill make recommendations
to the city Council via the Hu~an Relations Commi~sion as to how
responsibility for implemen~in9 the goals ~il1 be dele9ated.
AVAILABLE CHILD C1RB
Although the nu~er of child care spaces in Palo Alto has
increased over the past decade, the mark.et place has net provided
a suf£icient supply in relation to deruand. The reasons are
primarily related to cost;
Real estate, either leased or purchased, is expensive in the Palo
Alto area4
Capital start-up costs for improvements required by the st~te
licensillg agency ot" t:!"le City, plus the costs of fu:rn,~turej
fixtures and equipment can be prohibitive.
Despite the fact tha~ child care professionals are paid minimal
w'aqe5, labor costs ca.n be as much as eighty-five percE!nt of the
operating C05ts of a child care center4
Alterna~ive job opportunities fer potential providers. bath
center-and. home-based, often are !!10re attractive in terrns of
salaries, benefits, statu5, and &tress lavel.
The conditional use permit application process requires ~n
invest.ment of time and ltloney by child caroe pro"iders without a
guarantee of receiving e use per~it.
Availabl. Chi14 Care 7iv.·Year Goals (1,a'-9()
L Two hundred additional infa.nt/to~dler/preschool child care
spac~s and fo~r hundred ~dditional scheol-age child care
spaces are established.
2. Twenty-five recuperative care spaces are es~ablished to meet
the needs of parents 'With a reo.covering sick. child. ..
3. Incentives are in place to illotivi!te developers and/or
employers to provide space for the e5tablish~ent of new chile
care centers and family day care homes to include in-lieu
tees, mitigation fee vi!lriances, and ~<ensiti' bonuses.
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4:. City use permit application procedures are expedit,ed and fees
are waived tor nev child care providersa A me~er of the
Planning Departmen~ is d~signated to work vith child care
center applicants.
5, Employers are provided vith information on flexible working
hours, job sharing, regular part-time e~ployment and family
sick leave policies. as well as information on available
resources. Twenty new family support prograrus are in place.
These policies would allow more parents to take care of
children at heme at least part time.
6. A mitigation fee tor ct.ild care is explored.
Available Child Care One-Y.ar Goale (1989-90)
1. Fifty additional infant/toddler/preschool spaces and sixty
additional school-age child care spaces are established. The
proqress in expansion of child care spaces in Palo Alto since
1987 continues to be assessed, and areas of future need are
oetennined.
2. The development of -Recuperative Child CareR spaces is hegur.
by meeting 'With representatives of the child care providers,
medical community and licensing agencies.
J. The need for child care tor children ~ith disabilities is
assessed.
4. Incentiv~s are studied to ~elp attract anQ retain child car~
workers.
5. Incentives are studied for developers/emplcyers to provide
space or financial support for the establishment of new child
care centers and family day care homes. Five new family
support programs are put in place by employers.
R.eommen4~tions
lt is recommended that!
1. The use permit application process be expedited by developing
a permit application tor potential child care providers~
appointing one person from the City of Palo Alto Planning
Depa"rtment to work with applicants for child care centers,
and waiving application fees tor use permits.
2. Neighborhood acceptance of child care cen~ers be encouraged
through an explicit pro-child care resolution from city
Counci1 1 and that language relating to the importance of
child care be incorporateQ in the cityls Gen~ral Plan.
3. A portion of the monies in the Child Care Fund be used to
provicte grants for in-home and center-based child C4re
professionals for training and developme~t as well as for
start-up, expansion and improvement costs.
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Monies from the Utility TaJ( be used to lease space from tj1e
t~e Palo Alto Unified School District at each elementary
school tor before-~nd after-school child care, and rent
charged to providers tor leased space be earmark~d for child
care services in the City ot Palo Alto.
5. Child care services for recuperating children be developed.
6. Child care in th~ downtown ar~a and/or near page Mill Road be
developed.
7. Financial or nonfinancieo.l i:nc~ntives to eMployers be designed
by city staff ror the developm~nt of high prio~ity child ~are
as determined by the needs assessment.
s. serious study be done to develop a politically acceptahle
~itigation fee ordinance for child care.
Good quality child care is expensive and represents a substantial
portion of a family's budget. Two examples illustrate this fact:
A Palo Alto couple with an infant and a preschooler are an x-ray
technician earning $33,000 a year, and an engJ.neer ec;;rning
$38.700 a year. Their net take home pay is $57,OOO~ Cost for
their full time chil~ care is $13,800 a year or about 25 percent
of their net income~
A single-parent office worker earns $22,608 a year and takes home
$18,408. Full time preschool care for her four-year-old costs
$5,700 or nearly 33 percent of the ~drent/s income.
Artor4able Chi14 Care Five-Year Go.le (1989-'"
L Fifty employers assist their .employees in paying for child
care through vendor/voucher progra~s, cafet~ria type be~~fits
ant3/or Dependent Care Assisto1!lCe Plan {DeAF).
-2. The Palo Alto Child Care Fund supports-the implementation of
the Master Plan "and provides fi:"'lancial assistance to parents
and/or providers with primary emphasis given to increasing
slots.
3. Fifty percent of the priva~e centers in Palo ~lto offer
financial assistance to income-eligible parents.
4. A strong grant, giftl in-kind service prograr.: fronl p\.1blic and
private agencies reduces costs and includes site and facility
donations for the establishm.ent of new centers and family day
care homes~
5. All Palo Alto families who are eligible for local, state or
federally funded programs or subsidies know of these programs
and are assisted in applying fer them_
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6.. The city of Palo Alto is recogni2.ed as a lllodel employer in
assisting its employees in locat.ing and paying for qcality
child ca::e.
1... The City of ?alo Alto continues to sllbeidi%e child care fees
for eliqible families.
2. ElD.ployers assist their employees in paying {or child care.
a. Five Palo Alto employers vith 100 or more employees
either beqin o~ add to a child ca~~ assist~nce policy,
including a Oependent Car2 Assjs~ant Plan (DCAP). (See
Appendix E. l
b. Five Palo Alto employers with trom 15 to 99 employees
either begin or add to a child care assist~nce policy
including OCAP.
c. Methods are developed with the Chamber of Co~erce
whereby smaller businesses can offer DeAP programs to
their employees.
3. Priorities are established for funds raised tor the Palo Alto
Child Care Fund, and a fundIaising ca~paiqn is begun.
4. A Business Fundraising Co~ittee i& set up to de~elcp the
Palo Alto Child Care Fund and to 'ilenerate in-kind gifts arid
space donations.
s. Five scholarship spaces are developed in private Palo Alto
child care centers and family day care homes.
6. A list of public subsidies available for child care tuition
is publ1ehe:l.
:aaCOllmen c:!. tion 5
It is recommended that:
1... The City of Palo Alto maintain at least the current level of
funding for child care Gubsidy, 3dministration and
development.
2. The Child Care Coordinator in conjunction with the Child Care
Task Force develop a program to educate employers as to their
employees' child care needs aNd to encourage their involve
ment in addressing these needsp
J ~ The city of Palo Alto continue to be ". model employer by
continuing DCAP Plan, fleK time options, job sharing, and
child care SUbsidies for income eligible employees; and that
the City continue to adopt pro-family policies.
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4. The Child Care Coordinator develop and implement a sliding
scale tee formula and encourage cente.r and family day care
home providers to charge sliding scale fees~
5~ The Child C~rE Coordinator develop a fundraising program
ta~6ting corpor~tions, foundations, individuals and
governmt'.nt sources to implement the 1{aster Plan, and that a
portion of the funds raise~ be designated for child care
s~sldies for low and moderate income families.
A=aSIJlLII C1UL!) CAlU!l
Too often, families cannot find child care close to ~ork or home~
Many parents of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers prefer child
care near their place of work. At the child care center ser~in9
syntax fa~ilieE, 92 percent of fa~ilies currently enrolled live
outside the City of Palo Alto. Workers at two of Palo Alto's
major downtown employers, the City and the Medical Foundation,
have fe~, if any, downtown options for child care. The same is
true for the stan!ord Industrial Park~
The preferred location for atter-school child care is the
elementary school the child ettends. ~.en classroom space is
available, on-site centers are filled immediately. currentlYr
only four of the 11 PAUSO elementary schools offer on-site child
care~
Parents who live and/or .ork in Palo Alto also need to have
access to up-to-date child care resource and reter~al services at
convenient hours and locations.
Accessible Child Care Pive-Year G041s (1,89-94)
1~ On-or near-site after-schQol child care is established at
every ele~entary school in the school district4
2. Child care centers and/er family Qay care heroes are
~stablished in neighborhoOds or areas where resources do not
match n£eds~
3. All licensed centers in Palo Alto that maint~in approved
standards are eligible for 90ver~ment fundi~q, including city
of Palo Alto subsidies.
4. Th~ community Coordinated Child DEvelopment Council of Santa
Clara county, Incorporated (4Cs), provides a state-Gf-the-art
resource and referral service, including educational
material& for parents, for North Santa Clara county.
5. A computerized data system with up-to-date chjld care
resource and referral is on-line within the City and the
county library systems.
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6. Businesses with chf'~ care programs and/or family supportive
po::'icies are re.c09':. Led throug:,out the community as pioneers
and model employers.
Acc ••• i~le Chil~ Car. O~.-T.ar Goals tt9S9-g0J
1 •. Neqotiations are held with the Palo Alto Unified School
Di&trict (PAUSDl and the PTAs to establish a long-term plan
far on-site', before-and after-school care.
2. An interagency agreement bet~een the City of Palo Alto and
the Cummunity Coordinated Child Development Council of Santa
cla.ra county, Inc, {4Cs) is completed l recognizing the 4-:'5 as
the cityts child care resource arid referral agency ..
3. A full-time resource and referral st~ff person is in pla~e at
4Ce North County office in PalQ Alto.
4. Ten small-size Palo Alto employers 'Wi th 14 or fe'We:r-employees
aqree either to p:r-ovide their employees with child care
information or to allov flexible ~ork schejules that assist
their employees# child care needs.
5. A map of Palo Alto showing location of licensed child care
facilities is produced and dj,stributed to employers and
families.
6. Meetinqs are convened with library s~aff to initiate
computerized child care resource and referral ~ithin the
library data system.
7. Employers ~ith existinq child care centers or family
supportive pclicies are recognized in the local media as
trendsetters in benefits~
ReCOlDIIlendaticns
It is recommended that:
2. Local employers adopt pro-family p~rsonnel policies such as
flex time, job sharinq, or family leave to ease the child
care hurden.
2. The City app~oach other downtown employers and developers to
explo~e the possibility of forming a consortium to expa~d
child care spaces available in the dOwntOYM area~ {Tha City
is the ideal employer to take leadErship on this issue, since
as a governmental entity it also oversees planning and
zoning.) Allot-her znajor employers in the do-,.mtolin area
should be encourag'ed to join in explol'ing this option, and to
jointly sponsor a new child care center if employee and
employer interest ~arrants. The planning proc~ss might
include an in-depth survey of dO\ol1ltown employees to detel1l!ine
their child care needs, how llla.ny would' consider using a
dovntown center, and ho~ ~uch they could afford to pay.
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3. Development of child care is encouraged in the p,3.qe Kill Road
area and other places as determined by the needs assessment.
4. The Palo Alto U~jfied Scho01 District is encouraged to
continue to provide spac~ for on-sit@ betore-and after
school care at all ele~entary schools~
5. All licensed centp.rs and family day care homes that maint4in
approved standards~ be eligible to receive City subsidy
Qollars.
QUALITY CXILD CARE
Ensuring quality child cere requir~s the implementation of str!ct
standards. While the' state does provide licensing requirements I
they are minimal, res'llting in significant quality variation fron
program to program. The Na~ional Association for the Education
of Young Children is attempting to promote. higher levels of
professionalism and quality through a national accreditation
process for child care centers (see Appendix B~. For example, in
order to provide qu~lity chil~ care, the child care teacher must~
as an educated professional, c~edte and impleme~t a program that
incorporates and enhances the family unIt as well as optimizing
~~e chil~'s Qevelopment. CUrrently, we face a crisis in
recruitinq and retaining qualified child care professionals
because of 10v. c:;.mpensation and status. unless wages, benefits,
status and recognition are raised, quality child care will be
unattainable.
Quality Chi14 Care Five-Year Goals (19.9-t4)
1. Fifty percent of Palo Alto area child care centers are
accredited hy the National Association for the Education of
Young Children (see Appendix B).
:2. A strong network of child care providers is developed /
including proprietary and nonprofit centers, in-ho:ne
providers and children's service agencies, which is in place
to!
a~ Promote professionalism and quality
b. Pool resources for staff development
c. Create a substitute teacher pool
d. Educate provider6 to raise industry standards
e. Improve buying power for goods and services, e~g .•
insurance, janit~rial services, legal services, supplies
and. food
t. Act as a voice for the child care industry
3. A strong local lobby is developed which is composed of Task
Force members, employers, providers, reprp.sentatives from
city, state and federal gov.ernl11ent.os: and other interested
groups (e.g., PTAs), ~nd advocates at the local, state and
national levels on issues affecting child care (e.g .•
insurance, licensing, ~oning and funding).
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4. A hlue-ribbon panel of experts is convened to hold periodic
forums fer parents, providers, employers a~d other interested
parties on issues involving child care.
5. Employer groups advocate for quality child c~re.
Qu,:t.lity Ch~ __ ~c1 Car. One-Year Goal. (!989-,!...Ql
1. Five child care centers begin the Natio~al Association for
the Education of Young ChildreTI (NAEYC) accreditation
proce.ss.
2. A network of Palo Alto area centers and a network of family
~ay care homes are developed in coopera~ion with existing
net'Works and associations t,o proltote quality.
3. A joint legislative committee is established to provide
information to Sacramento and Washington, D.C., lobbyists of
local co~orations, and child care lobbyists.
4. Ten members of ~ blue-ribbon panel of child care experts are
recruited and a forum is scheduled.
s. standa~Qs for quality child care are addressed in depth and a
system to ensure the standards is developed.
6. An annual event is orqani!:eci t.o recognize contributions made
to quality child care.
Recommendations
It is recommended that:
1. Standards are developed a~d adopted which exceed state
licensing require1I1ents and for ", .. hieh Palo Alto child care
proqra~s should strive.
2. The Task Force sl.lbcotT>J!littee on qual i ty continue to a,dvocate
for increesed salaries and benefits comensurate ~ith tha
professional statu!:> of eat"ly childhood educators.
J. Net.orks for center based chIld care providers and home based
child care providers be strengthened and supported, and a
member t~orn each network he an ex-officio member of the Task
Force.
~. A professional effort to coordinate child care resources in
this community be launched and sustained, and all providers,
agencies, advocates and concerned indivIduals in the public;
nonprofit, and private sectors be included in this effort.
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APPENDIX A
PALO ALTO CITY COt1llcIL
Begular H •• tinq, June .~ 1'87
lfriTIOll: coul'l.cilme!!tb£r Renzel [or the Policy and Procedures
Committee moved the city Council taKe the following actions
concerning the Report from the Child Care Task Force:
1. Assign the responsibility for community-wide child care
advocacy, coordination, and tundraisinq to Palo Alto
Community Child Care (PACCC) as part of its cont~~ctual
ohliqations to the City;
2. Endorse the concept of a Child Care Master Plan;
3. Direct the Human Rela.tions comrrdssion (HRC) to develop a plan
tor an ongoing Child Care Task Force and return to Council
for approval of structure, responsihilities, and guidelines
for me:mbership;
4. Direct PACCC to prOceed" with estahlishing a Child Care Fund
and a Business Advisor" Committee. As an initial contribu
tion to the Fund, dire~t city st3ff to transfer tne remaining
balance from the tunds appropriated for use by the 1986-87
Child Care TaSK Force estimated to be $9,000, plus an amount
in matching aollars up to $15,000, the matching period to
begin at the start of the fiscal year 1987-88 and expire at
the end of the third quarter of the fisc31 year;
5. Direct staff, consonant "'ith Planning staff work load and
existing priorities, to explore the feasioility of a Child
Care Mitigation Fee, review the concept and its implication
wi~h the Planning Commission, and report the findings and
recommendations to council;
E. Endorse the efforts of .Palo Al to Area !nfonr,at.ion and
Referral Service (PAAIRS) and PACCC to .work vith 4C~s of
Santa Clara county to establish a North county child care
resource and referral office;
7. Direct that monitoring the progress in achieving the goals of
the Child Care Master Plan become part of ~~e City's regular
evaluation procedure for hUman services contracts; and
8. Recommend favorable consideration by the Finance and Public
Works committee of a 0.5 temporary pOSition to be added to
the staff of the Human Services Division to provide support
to the HRC necessary to launch the ongoing Task Force and
Child Care Master Plan.
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.JJaDrDJ!:Blft: Council member .Klein f",r the Finance and Public Works
Committse moved to replace .S with language as tollo~s: In lieu
ot authorizing a 0.5 temporary position be added to the staff of
the Human services Division, recommend that devalopment of the
onqoinq Child Care Task Force be zcco~plished by the Human
Relations Ccmmission ~ithin the existing resources of the Human
services Division and that responsibilit~,. fer developing the
Master i"lan be assurned by the Pale Alto COl:rJOunity Child Care.
MOTION AS AMENDED PASSBD UNANIMOUSLY.
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Af~BIIDn: B
~ATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION OF
YOUNG CBXLDP~ (x.EYC) ~CC~DIT~TI0N POR RIGR QUALITY
EARLY ClIILDHOOD PItOGRAXB
The National Academy tor the Education of Young Children, a
Division ot the National Association for the Education of young
Chlldren J bas established an accreditatjon system designed to
.eet two mejor goals:
la To help early childhood program personnel b~come involved in
a process that ~ill facilitate real and las~inq improvements
in the quality of the progra~ serving yoan9 children; and
2. To evaluate the qtJalit}~ cf the progra'!l for the purpose of
accrediting those earl;,.' chil~hood programs that fUnction in
accord£nce with the criteria for high quality programs.
To be eliqiple for accreditation, an early childhood program
must:
1. Serve a mini~um of ter. children within the age group of birth
throu9h five in part-or full-ti~e group programs; five
through eiqht-year-olds before and/or after school. (Family
day-care homes are n~t eligible for accreditation at this
time. )
2. Hav~ been in operation at least one year prier to receipt of
a~creditation. Programs may apply and participate i~ the
self-study activities during their first year of operation
but validation/accreditation procedures cannot be scheduled
until the center has completed Qne full year of operation.
3. Be licensed by the appropriate state/local agencies or if
exempt from licensinq, demonstrate co~pliance ~ith its O~
state's standards for child care centers subject to
licensir.g4 In states which have no standards for certain
kinds of proqra~s, those programs are eligible to apply for
accreditation.
Early ~hildhood programs voluntarily choose to participate in the
accreditation project. Centers receive the materials needed to
initiate a self study. Center personnel and parents use these
materials to develo~ a comprehensive evaluation of the early
childhood proqram.
The program administrator ~evelops and i~plements a plan tor
making needed improvements and r once satisfied that the program
is adequately meeting the criteria~ submits the results of the
self study to the Academy staff in the form of a ~ritten program
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descriptlon~ When the ACndemy staff determines that the d~scrip
ticn is complete an~ the center personnel decide that the center
is ready, an on-site visit is arranged. The purpose of the
on-$ite visit is to validate that the informa~ion contained in
the proqram clescription 1s a!"! accurate reflection cf t:rle dail)~
operations of the program.
Accreditation decisions are made by three-me~er C~~issions.
The accreditation decision is a professional judgment ~ithin the
limits of the Academy's criteria fer High Qualitj' Early Childhood
programs which considers al~ components of the program as well as
its unique characteristics.
The Academy's Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood Programs
represent the consensus of the early childhood profession
regarding the definition of a good quality group program for
yo~~q children. They were developed over a three-year period by
revie'Wing approximately 50 evaluation dOC"'...tments and the research
literature on the effects on children of various components of an
~arly childhood progra~.
These criteria include ten cornpOne.ilt.s of group programs fer young
children. Each component begins with a brief goal s~atement and
rationale followed by the criteria Which indicate that the goal
is being aChieved. Each criterion is followed by interpretive
statements to help clarify .e;nd explain an item. Tne ten
components are:
1. Interactions among staff and children
2. cUrricul!J:m
J. Staff-paren~ interaction
4. sti'J..t.f qualifications and dev~lopment
5. Administration
6. Staffing
7. Physical environment
a. Health and safety
3. Nutrition and food service
10. EValuation
. The complete criteria and interpretive statements are available
for reviEW in the Human Services Office, Palo Alto Civic Center.
250 Hamilton Avenue, or the PACCC office located at 3990 Ventura
Court. Palo Alto.
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APPElIDIlC C
PALO U1'O CRUD CAll!: l/EEDS ASBBSSKEl/T
N~E: Sources tor numbers are four.d in N£EDS section.
L Enrcllment Repot"t, October 20, 1987 from Juli~n Crocker,
Superint~nQent of Schools, PAUSO, to the Board of Education.
Repvrt prepared by James Van, Assistant Superintendent.
Palo Alto birth rate 625 children per year
Children
PAUSD
Private
Total
in Palo
3,780
125
J:9D5
AltQ schools, grades K through 6, 1988-aS
2. United States Census Update; D.S. Women's Bureau Update
Percentag~ of working parents ~ith children 0-5 years = 60%
Percentage of ~orking parents with children 6-12 years = 70\
Percentage of Yorking parents
needing licensed child care = 60\
3. Estimated Child Care Need in Palo Alto
Palo Alto birth rate 625 per year
Infant/toddlers
Preschoolers
625 x 2.5 (O-2.5 years)
625 x 3 (:2.5-5.5 years)
1,562
1,886
Infant/toddlers vith ~orking parents 1.562 x 460 = 937
Infant/toddlers ~ith working parents
needing licensed child care 937 Yo .60 = 562
Preschoolers with working parents 1,855 x .60 = 1,132
P=eschoolers with working parents
needing licensed child care 1.132 x .60 ~ 679
Schocl-a92 children with working parents 3,905 x .70
School-acre children with ~orkinq parents
needing licensed child care 2,734 x .60 = 1,640
2~734
4. Child Care Spaces in Palo Alto 1998 -Licensed centers and
Licensed Family Day Care Ho;nes
sa
Infant/toddler
Preschool
School-Age
C P
441
1,373
805
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APPE1IDIZ Il
DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
'1'0 ACIIIBVl! KAS'l'ER PLl.1I ONI1-rEAR GOALS
AVAILABLE: CHILD CARE
14 Assess future chilo care needs for Palo Alto.
Child Core coordinotor (CCC)
2. Keet ~ith representatives of the child care providers,
meci.ical community and licensing agencies to devel;:>p
~Recuperative Child Care-center.
Palo Alto community Child Care (PACCC)
). AssE'SS fleed for child care fr;;>r children with
disabilities.
PACCC
4. St~dy incentives for child care workers.
Child Care Task Force (CCTF) and PACCC
5. Develop reco~~endations for Developer/Employer
Incentives.
CCC and CCTF
6. Recruit additional family day care providers.
Community coordina.ted O::hild Development Council (4Cs)
B. Al1'ORDABLE: CB I L!:l CARE
1. Maintain current level of child care support.
City of Palo Alto (CPA)
2. Employer support project expansion including offering a
Dependent Care Assistance Program.
CCC
3. Develop funding priorities for Child care Fund.
CCTF and CCC
4. Develop business fundraising committee.
CCC
5. Develop scholarship process.
CCTF
6. Publish list of public child care.-subsidies.
PACCC
7~ Expand Dependent Care Assistance Proqram to benefit City
of Palo Alto employees with family income unoer $35,000.
CPA
8. Conduct feasibility study of chilo care endowment fund,
CCTF' and CCC
c. ACC£SSIBLE CHILD CARE
1~ Develop interagency agreement with the 4Cs.
CcrF
2. Provide for full-time 4Cs resource and referral person.
CCC
3. Develop school ag-2' child care on school sites.
CCC
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5.
6.
7.
..
Increase company proviaed child care options for
employees by ten small-size Palo 1\lto employers.
ccc
create and distribute a map of child care center
locations in Palo Alto .
FACCC
Convene meetings ~ith Library staff.
PAA.lRS. CCTF and CCC
De·.:elop publicity for trendsetting businesses.
ccc
D. QUALITY CRILD CARl!
1. Develop incentives for child care centers to co~plete the
accreditation proc~ss of the National Association for the
Education of Young Childr~n.
CC'rF and PACCC
2 ~ Work with North county Child Care center .Network and
Midpe~ir.~ula Hom~ Child Ca~e Network.
CCTF 1 CCC. and PACCC
3. Establish joint Legislative committee.
CCTF
4. Establish Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care.
CCTF and ccc
5. Develop Child Care Standaras.
CCTF a'1d FACCC
6. Organize Child Care Event.
CCC and Task Force
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APPENDIX E
DEPEND!~ CARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
A Dependent Care Assistance Program (often referred to as DeAP)
provides e n~ans for employers to offer dependent care (for
children, elderly, and disabled dependents) as a benefit that is
not sUbject to FICA taxes. The employee estimates the yearly
amount of dependent care expenses at the beginning of the year.
(The maximum is $5,000 for married 'col.lples filing a joint return I
or $2,500 if filing a separate r~turn~) The employer withholds a
specified atr!OUl1t in a pre-tax account an'j reimburses the employee
upon receipt of a monthly voucher. (Refer to IRS Code, sections
129, 3121, 3306, and 3041.) State ta~ laws differ in allowable
credit.. (REIfer t,o Revenue and Taxation Code, section 17136~5)
At the end of the year, a cre~it for any excess zmount paid that
as not incl~ded in the estimate can be t~ken under the Depend~nt
care Tax Credit. This tax code allows ~mployees to claim credits
tor dependent care expenses tor a ma~imum of $2,40u for one
dependent, or $4,800 for two or more depende~ts. (Refer to IRS
Code, Section 2l.,
Cvmpanias do not pay FICA taxes on any pre-tax employee ~ith
holdings d~signated in a Oependent Care Assistance program.
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APPENDIl[ F
CtlRRl!NT CXILD CJt.R!i SERVICES IN pJt.LO ALTO
l'ACCC
Com.muni'(:'Y Child Care of Palo Alto has changea over the pa:s't 15
years # in response to the needs of Palo Alto families and has
reflected a growing interest ir. nation vide child care issues.
Whereas PACCC ~as tor many years the principal voice of child
ca~e in th~ are3~ it has been joined by a broad group of
providers and inter~sted citizens in its advocacy for ~idely
available and high quality child care.. This appendix: describes
~~a various kinds of child care programs and services no~
available to Palo Alto families.
Since 1973, ~h~ City of Palo Alto has supported child care as an
essential community service through its contract ~ith Palo Alto
community Child Care ~PACCC). Established as a result of the
1973 Child Care Task Force recommendations, PACCC was designed as
an umbrella orqanization to promote the development of high
quality child care services in Palo Alto. Palo Alto's history of
city funaing for child care has ~ade it a pioneer among local
governrnents~
Palo Alto's financial co~~itment to child care is and has been
substantial a PACCC's 1986-89 contract with the City is for the
amount of $381 J 89J, more than is received by any other human
services contractor~ $231,000 s~sizes parent fees for child
care. Th~se subsidies are available to income-eligible residents
of Palo Alto w~ose children are enrolled in P~CCC sponsored
programs. Tne remaining $150,000 is used to support the
administrative and coordination functions of PACCC.
PACCC operates thirteen child care centers. CUrrently, 97
children are enrolled in the three infant/toddler cente~s, and 90
are enrolled in three preschool centers. 234 children are
enrolled in seven 2: ft.er-school progra!!'.s. In addition I FAcce
administers support sarvices for six .affiliated voucher centers
and four family day care homes which are part of the PACCC
system. PACCC/s administration provides technical suppcrt,
program monitoring, and staff training for the entire system.
All affiliated programs must meet quality standards established
by PACCC. and quality is maintajned through such programs as
staff training workshops, parent education seminars, and
consultation with cother co:rr .. :nunity services groups. CUrrently,
897 children are served in PACCC centers and affiliated program,s I
of whom a5 qualify for ..:-educed fees based en family income~
NON-PACCC PROGRAXS
In addition to PACCC centers, there are approximately 29 center
based programs in Palo Alto. Approximately 2~ of these are
organized as nonprofit corpor~tions ~hile three a~e private, for
profit programs.
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LI~EHSED FAK!LY DAY c~~~~
currently there dre 30 lic~nsed family day care homes in Palo
Alto serving approY-irnately 240 children. Family day care homes
ar~ limited to 12 children at anyone time.
IIi70RMAL JI1UIANGEMENTB
Many families make arrangements ",lith relatives or friends to care
for their young children. Some families employ nannies, au pairs
or babysitters in their homes. Escondido Village at Stanford
University has a large network of unlicensed child care providers
(usually ... ~iv-=:s of foreign graduate students). There ar.e no
statistics available on th~ number of children cared for in these
arrangement.s.
B I Cit CHILD CAltE
curre~tly there are no formal programs designed to care for the
mildly ill or recuperating children of ... ·or-king parents. The
Stanford Arboretum Children's Center ",'ill begin operating a nGet
Well Roomfl for 15 children in June. Space ~ill be reserved for
children of parents affiliated with Stanford.
EMPLOYER SUPPORTE~ CHILO CARE CENTERS
syntex Children's Preschool Center is the onl}o' employer supported
center in Palo Alto. Organized as a sep~rate nonprofit corpora
tion, the center serves 150 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
of Syntex employees. syntex subdsidizes operating costs of the
center.
PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
The PAUSD operates the Besse Bolton Cr.ildren's Center ""hich
ser.res 92 children from the ages of three to eleven. Currently
four e] ementary schools contract ' • .'1 th providers to operate
on-site after-school programs. According to the teDlls c,f a
tentative agreement between the City of Palo Alto and the PAt:SD,
space at each of the eleven elern~nt~ry schools will soon be ~ade
available to operate after-school child care programs.
RECREATION DIVISION PROGRAMS
In addition -co its support of Pl,CCC 1 the Citr provides after
school chjld care programs through the Recreation Division of the
Department of Social and Community Services. These prog!"ams
operate at two locations: Lucie Stern and Mitchell Park
Community Center!;, each site serving an average of 25 children
each day in grades four through six. The programs are affiliated
with PP.CCC Which provides transpor-tation from schools to the
centers. The Recreation Division prograrns are .self supporting
through parent fees.
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The Recreation Division also operates two all-day summer camps
for school-age childr~m. Camp IIEnjoy It!" is for cbildren in
Kindergarten throu9h thirJ grade, and flAdventure Kidst W is for
children in grades four through six. Both begin at a 3.m. and
end at 6 p.m. Parents may register their children for mornings
o'r afternoons, or all day, pay.:sble on a weekly basis.
CHILD CAIU! PaR DISABLED CHILDREN
Ma.ny disabled children are "rnait!streallled u into regular child care
programs. Fonnalized child care for children with severe
disabilities does not exist at this time.
RBSOURCB AND REFERRAL PROGRAKS
The Community Co¢rdinated child Development Council of Santa
Clara County provides resource and referral services to Palo Alto
residents' and employees through cheir North COuflty Office located
in Palo ~lto. There is also a small number o! private referral
agencies Which help parents locate child care.
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