About the 4C Council

Community Child Care Council of Santa Clara County (4C’s)

Who We Are
The Community Child Care Council of Santa Clara County(4C’s) is proud to serve the community of the greater Silicon Valley, for more than 30 years.

4C’s is a non-profit, community-based agency that provides a variety of comprehensive services and serves as the community child care link for families and child care professionals who live and work in Santa Clara County, California.

Our Mission
The agency's mission is to promote the availability and accessibility of quality early care and education for all children in Santa Clara County through services to child care providers, parents, children and the community at large.

Our History
This venture started in 1971, when a group of parents discovered their access to the existing child development services was limited, as they were systematically prevented from taking advantage of quality child care services that other children in affluent families were receiving. Their concerns were reviewed by community activists and educators, and it was determined that their child care needs were indeed not being met. As a result, the group applied for funding from the San Jose Model Cities Program and established the first county-wide Child Care Committee under the county's Social Planning Council. In 1972, the county joined in the venture, and the 4C Council was born.

In its 30 years of service, the agency has grown from a $50,000 budget and a staff of three, to a $30 million budget and a staff of 100. Almost all of the funding is returned into the community as payments to child care providers for ser-vices provided to low income children and their families through the Subsidized Child Care department and the Child Care food program that reimburses licensed child care providers for the nutritional food served to children in care. The 4C Council is one of the most diverse early care and education organizations in the State of California, whose employees represent 10 nationalities and speak 9 languages.

2006
Last year 4c’s successfully started three Child Development Programs serving families and children in three low income neighborhoods. Most recently, the agency was awarded funding from the state for planning and implementing a charter school. In addition, we have been awarded funding to implement the Countywide Centralized Eligibility List, a Family Friends and Neighbor (Exempt Child Care provider training program) and a Special Needs –Inclusion Education program for Early Care and Education Professionals.