Child Action Incorporated
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Child Action, Inc. is a private, nonprofit corporation founded in 1976 to promote the education and social welfare of children and families and to advocate on their behalf. See Schedule O for further details.
- Income
- $193.3 million
- Spending
- $194.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- 0 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 99%
- Employees
- 235
- Highest pay
- $284,831, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 44 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (human services, over $100m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.0 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 98% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (human services, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $181.5 million spent. This program, which serves families on Stage 2, 3 and CAPP in Sacramento County, receives its funding from contracts with the California Department of Education, which administers both state and federal monies. The programs purpose is to provide child care subsidies to income-eligible families who are employed, in training, or actively seeking employment, or whose children are referred for protective services.Child Action, Inc. served 10,287 families and 19,818 children from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.See Schedule O for further details. This program, which serves families on Stage 2, 3 and CAPP in Sacramento County, receives its funding from contracts with the California Department of Education, which administers both state and federal monies. The programs purpose is to provide child care subsidies to income-eligible families who are employed, in training, or actively seeking employment, or whose children are referred for protective services.Child Action, Inc. served 10,287 families and 19,818 children from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.Other Alternative Payment Program1. Single Point of Entry The program enrolls the Stage 1 providers for the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance. This provides for a streamlined process for the provider to attend one orientation for both the County Stage 1 program and Stage 2 program, ensuring a seamless transition for the parentand provider.2. Provider Stipends This program is funded by the California Department of Social Services ARPA funds for Alternative Payment Programs to issue one-time stipends to childcare providers caring for children on the APP subsidy program. These stipends are to assist childcare providers with the added costs.Total program expenses were $181,505,182. Total program revenues were $35,660.
- $5.6 million spent. The programs purpose is to provide child care referrals and information to parents; develop and support quality child care services to meet the needs of the community; maintain accurate, current information on all licensed child care services; and promote the child care needs of the community.See Schedule O for further details. Child Care Referrals: In 2024-2025, Child Action, Inc. provided 14,289 child care referrals to families for 12,719 children. Thirty-three percent (33%) of callers needed child care for infants, 44% for preschool age children, and 23% for school-age care, meaning most requests for child care (77%) are for children under the age of six. Thirteen percent (13%) of all children needing care needed alternative schedule care in the evening, weekend or overnight. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of the families needed child care because they were working, 11% are looking for work and 10% are in school or training. The remaining 11% needed care for other parental needs, including Child Protective Services and alternate/back-up care.In addition to traditional childcare referrals, staff provided childcare navigation and enhanced childcare referrals for families with children with special needs, families at high risk, and foster resource families. These enhanced referrals involve the staff person reaching out to potential childcare providers, verifying vacancy, and providing a facilitated handoff to the family. During FY 24/25, 125 foster resource families and former foster youth who are parenting were provided with supports in navigating the childcare process and provided with emergency childcare vouchers. Childcare providers that enrolled children placed with foster families received trauma informed care coaching and training opportunities. Technical Assistance: Over 13,200 parents, child care providers, students, community service agencies, media, local public officials, and employers received assistance from Child Action, Inc. on a broad range of topics to do with child care and development, parenting, and family and child health & safety. Assistance includes phone counseling, distribution of handouts and resource materials, site visits, and office visits.Health & Safety training rebates, for a total of $61,528, were provided to 634 child care teachers, directors, child care home providers, and family, friend, and neighbor (license-exempt) providers. 209 health training scholarships were provided to license-exempt child care home providers, 28 were provided to licensed centers, and 397 were provided to family child care home providers. Five hundred forty-four (544) early learning workforce pathways grants were distributed to the child care early learning workforce. The purpose of the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant is to support increased learning and healthy development of Californias young children by increasing the number of qualified early learning professionals and increasing the educational credentials, knowledge, and competencies of existing early learning professionals across the state. Workforce Pathways grants are intended to support professional development that allows early learning professionals to move along the Career Lattice and/or support early learning professionals to complete unit-bearing coursework and advance along a degree pathway. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of the workforce grants were issued to child care center staff and 41% were issued to family child care program staff, and a total of 6 license-exempt providers received grants (1%) 4 were for professional learning hours, 1 was for completing health & safety training, and 1 was for a license fee reimbursement.The Quality Child Care Collaborative reduced the scope of services, in line with reductions in First 5 Sacramento funding. In 2024-2025, the consultation team, made up of consultants in special education, behavioral health and early learning, supplied technical assistance, consultation, and referral services to 34 child care providers, including 8 consultation contacts to child care centers and family child care homes. Consultation contacts provide strategies, modeling, and coaching. On-going, regular visits provide the opportunity to build trusting relationships between the consultant and the early learning staff at these programs and to observe dialogue and make changes over time for both the program and individual children. Staff provided prospective center and family child care home owners with 5,776 instances of technical assistance in opening new child care services. With staff help and support, four child care centers and 171 family child care homes opened new child care businesses and offer new child care services, increasing capacity of child care services for 1,575 children. Advocacy and Community Education: Child Action, Inc. staff made presentations to 571 people at community fairs and meetings, public hearings, and other gatherings. We also attended 65 community outreach events, reaching approximately 14,300 community members with information about our programs, assistance, and resources. Also this year, an average of over 22,810 community members each month received Child Action, Inc. electronic newsletters that include child care and community information.Child Action expanded its advocacy efforts at the local, state, and federal levels to advance equitable access to child care. CAI hosted its first-ever Policy Summit, bringing together business and community leaders to address critical child care issues, while continuing collaboration through the Sacramento County Child Care Coalition and the National League of Cities Early Learning Initiative. In partnership with First 5 Sacramento and local agencies, CAI helped develop recommendations for the Childrens Fund Oversight Commission and advocated for sustained investments in young children. CAI also supported local policies to protect and expand child care access, including preserving zoning protections for child care centers and securing
- Child Action, Inc. is a private, nonprofit corporation founded in 1976 to promote the education and social welfare of children and families and to advocate on their behalf. Our programs include resource and referral services for families seeking child care, child care subsidies for qualifying families, recruitment and professional development of the child care workforce, and family education and support.Our goal is to partner with families and assist them in the care and education of their children and to advocate beside them in support of their concerns.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1977.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.