Human Relations Commission - May 8, 2025

Commission backs CDBG plan while seeking review of childcare award

The Human Relations Commission voted 6-1 to recommend that City Council approve Palo Alto’s draft fiscal year 2025-26 Annual Action Plan and 2025-2030 Consolidated Plan, while asking staff to consider reducing a proposed $120,000 Community Development Block Grant allocation to WeeCare/Upwards by 20% to 25%. The recommendation called for redirecting the difference to other eligible activities not subject to federal spending caps, with an emphasis on the Alma Garden rehabilitation project.

The plan assumed $600,000 in available funding, including approximately $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and $100,000 in program income. The proposed allocations included $195,507.50 for housing rehabilitation, $120,000 for economic development, $94,492.50 for public services, $70,000 for public facilities and improvements, and $120,000 for planning and administration. HUD caps public-services spending at 15% and planning and administration at 20%.

Commissioner Katie Causey questioned whether funding a for-profit childcare-support company could subsidize services also sold to larger corporate clients. A WeeCare/Upwards representative said the grant would support 12 months of mentorship for family childcare providers, while access to the company’s platform would remain free for providers and families.

Commissioner Don Barr supported directing additional money toward Alma Garden. Barr disclosed that he had founded the Community Working Group nonprofit and submitted the original CDBG application connected to the property’s acquisition. Alma Garden has 10 housing units for very-low-income residents; previously funded rehabilitation was underway, and additional laundry-room and interior improvements had been proposed.

The commission also endorsed staff’s contingency plan for adjusting allocations after the final HUD award. If more money became available, staff proposed proportional increases for partially funded public-service applicants before directing additional funding to Alma Garden or another public-facilities project. If the award came in lower, staff proposed reducing public-service allocations proportionally before cutting uncapped projects. The plans were scheduled for City Council consideration on June 9, 2025, followed by submission to HUD after council action.

Providers describe enrollment shifts and cost pressures in local childcare

In a learning session, early-childhood providers described a sector strained by enrollment changes, high family costs, low wages, licensing delays and facility needs. Presenters said the expansion of transitional kindergarten was drawing four- and five-year-olds away from childcare programs, pushing providers to adapt toward younger children even as some reported unexpectedly weak enrollment among two-year-olds.

Presenters estimated monthly center-based costs in the area at about $3,000 for infants, $2,800 for two-year-olds and $2,500 for preschoolers. At the same time, a 2024 statewide workforce study put childcare-center wages at approximately $20 to $25 per hour. Providers also said state licensing for centers can take six months or longer.

Staff reported that 41% of respondents to the city’s recent needs assessment identified early childhood education as a growing need. Palo Alto’s childcare website lists more than 70 licensed home- and center-based providers, while the city subsidy program supports close to 35 children and provider mini-grants are limited to $500.

Commissioners explored possible city support involving subsidies, facility renovations, permitting, workforce recruitment and help for small and home-based providers. Palo Alto Community Child Care also reported preparing for a 2026-27 requirement that 10% of spaces across its 18 centers serve children with special needs. The commission took no formal action during the session.

LGBTQ+ residency sculpture approaches King Plaza installation

Staff said the LGBTQ+-focused King Artist Residency was nearing completion, with installation of a sculpture at King Plaza tentatively anticipated around June 13, 2025. The planned work is a little over 6 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter.

Related plans included an exhibition at Rinconada Library, an artist talk and a possible Pride-themed opening celebration. Commissioners were invited to participate and help promote the event, but staff did not request formal action. A subsequent artist-in-residence had been approved to focus on Palo Alto’s immigrant community.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet