Palcare
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY, FLEXIBLE, AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE, EARLY EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TO FAMILIES EMPLOYED AT THE SF INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES; AND TO SERVE AS A MODEL OF COLLABORATION, INNOVATION AND ADVOCACY FOR CHILDREN, WORKING FAMILIES AND THE CHILD CARE PROFESSION.
- Income
- $6.5 million
- Spending
- $5.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 5.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 86%
- Employees
- 65
- Volunteers
- 9
- Highest pay
- $172,951, executive director
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
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.5 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 30% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 33% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 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)
- $1.9 million spent. PALCARE PRESCHOOL/PRE-K PROGRAMPALCARE'S PRESCHOOL/PRE-K PROGRAM COMPRISES ACADEMICALLY DISTINCT PRESCHOOL AND PRE- KINDERGARTEN COMPONENTS. THE PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM IS ORGANIZED INTO LEARNING AREAS SO THAT CHILDREN CAN FIND THE MATERIALS THEY WISH TO USE. THE LEARNING CENTERS INCLUDE THE LIBRARY, DRAMATIC PLAY, ART AND CONSTRUCTION BLOCKS, MANIPULATIVES AND PUZZLES, SCIENCE, MATH, NATURAL HISTORY, LANGUAGE AND MUSIC. MOST MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE CHILDREN ON OPEN SHELVES. TEACHING TEAMS TRANSFORM THE ENVIRONMENT PERIODICALLY TO PROVIDE NEW OPPORTUNITIES. EACH CLASSROOM CONTAINS SEVERAL SMALL SPACES TO ENCOURAGE SMALL GROUP PLAY AND TO PROVIDE A BIT OF PRIVACY THAT CHILDREN NEED. PARENTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO HELP US TO DEVELOP THE ENVIRONMENT BY BRINGING IN MORE PROPS FOR A LEARNING CENTER OR SOMETHING OF BEAUTY OR CURIOSITY FROM THE NATURAL WORLD FOR THE CHILDREN TO EXPLORE. OUR PLAY YARD HAS A CURRENT DESIGN OF CLIMBING STRUCTURES, WHICH IS CHALLENGING, YET SAFE. THE YARD ALSO FEATURES PLAYHOUSES, A TRIKE RUN, SAND BOX, BALANCE TOYS, SENSORY TABLES, ART EASELS, BALLS AND MORE. THE YARD MEETS THE LATEST PLAYGROUND SAFETY REGULATIONS AND IS STILL LOTS OF FUN.OUR PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PREPARE CHILDREN TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND COMFORTABLE IN KINDERGARTEN, WHETHER THEY GO TO KINDERGARTEN IN THE FALL OF THE CURRENT YEAR OR SPEND TWO YEARS IN OUR PROGRAM AND HEAD TO KINDERGARTEN THE FOLLOWING FALL. THE PUBLIC SCHOOL REQUIREMENT FOR KINDERGARTEN IS THAT CHILDREN MUST BE FIVE YEARS OLD BY SEPTEMBER 1ST. WE BELIEVE THAT LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT IS NOT A RACE BUT A COMPLEX, RICH PROCESS. EVERYTHING WE PLAN AND DO WITH THE CHILDREN IS INTENDED TO HELP THEM HAVE A STRONG, SOLID FOUNDATION. OUR APPROACH INCLUDES DAILY EXPERIENCES IN LANGUAGE, LITERACY, MATHEMATICS, NATURAL SCIENCE, MUSIC AND ART. OUR GROUP SIZE OF APPROXIMATELY NINETY-ONE (91) WITH THE 3-5 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP, WITH CREDENTIALED, EXPERIENCED PRE-KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, ENSURES THAT THE CHILDREN WILL RECEIVE INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR LEARNING. EVERY WEEK THE CHILDREN HAVE ENRICHMENT CLASSES IN MUSIC AND MOVEMENT EDUCATION IN ADDITION TO THEIR CLASSROOM DAILY ACTIVITIES. EACH CHILD MAY ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE "RAISING A READER" BOOK BAG PROGRAM, A WONDERFUL LITERACY BUILDING EXPERIENCE.
- $1.7 million spent. PALCARE INFANT PROGRAMTHE INFANT PROGRAM HAS TWO GROUPS: THE YOUNGER BABIES GROUP IS CHILDREN THREE MONTHS OLD UP TO THE TIME THEY ARE WALKING OR BEGINNING TO WALK. THE OLDER INFANTS GROUP IS EARLY WALKING BABIES UP TO 24 MONTHS OLD. THE YOUNGER BABIES CLASSROOMS PROVIDE A GENTLY STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT WITH EQUIPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL PLAY MATERIALS THAT ENCOURAGE BABIES TO SAFELY EXPLORE THE PHYSICAL WORLD AND WHAT THEIR BODIES CAN DO. YOU WILL NOT FIND RESTRICTIVE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS WALKERS, BOUNCERS OR PLAYPENS IN THE CLASSROOMS. THEY ARE NOT SAFE OR HEALTHY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IN GROUP CARE. THE OLDER INFANTS CLASSROOMS OFFER MORE CHALLENGING EQUIPMENT AND INTRODUCES CHILDREN TO ART MATERIALS, MANIPULATIVE, PUZZLES, BLOCKS, OUTDOOR PLAY AND MORE. ALL INFANT PLAY ENVIRONMENTS FEATURE LOTS OF BOOKS, PICTURES AND MOBILES. EACH IS DIVIDED INTO SMALLER PLAY AREAS SO THAT CHILDREN WILL INTERACT IN SMALL GROUPS, AS IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR AGE. EACH CLASSROOM HAS A SEPARATE SLEEPING ROOM(S). YOUNGER BABIES ARE PROVIDED WITH SLEEPING MATS AND OLDER INFANTS USE SLEEPING COTS. NOTE MOST WEEKS THE OLDER INFANTS GROUP HAS MUSIC AND MOVEMENT ENRICHMENT CLASSES ONCE A WEEK IN ADDITION TO THEIR CLASSROOM DAILY ACTIVITIES. OUR 3-12 MONTH OLD AGE GROUP HAD AN APPROXIMATE GROUP SIZE OF THIRTY-THREE (33) AND OUR 13-24 MONTH OLD AGE GROUP HAD AN APPROXIMATE GROUP SIZE OF TWENTY-SEVEN (27), WITH CREDENTIALED, EXPERIENCED INFANT TEACHERS WHICH ENSURES THAT OUR INFANTS RECEIVE THE PROPER CARE, ATTENTION AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING.
- $1.0 million spent. PALCARE TODDLER PROGRAMTHE THIRD YEAR OF LIFE, FROM 25 TO 36 MONTHS, IS ANOTHER CRITICAL PERIOD FOR HEALTHY BRAIN DEVELOPMENT. IT IS THE TIME WHEN CHILDREN GAIN GREATER CONTROL OVER THEIR BODIES, BEGIN TO DEVELOP A VOCABULARY AND FIRST BEGIN TO SUSPECT THAT THEY ARE NOT THE VERY CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE! AS WITH THE INFANT PROGRAM, WE BELIEVE TWO-YEAR-OLDS NEED RESPECT, NURTURING CARE AND INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION. THEY ALSO NEED ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT WITH PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN THROUGH EXPERIENCE. THEY NEED SPECIFIC ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO COMMUNICATE THEIR FEELINGS AND NEEDS TO THE OTHER CHILDREN WITH WHOM THEY WANT TO PLAY. THEY MAY NEED ENCOURAGEMENT AND REASSURANCE WHEN THINGS DO NOT GO THEIR WAY. NOTE MOST WEEKS THE TODDLER GROUP HAS MUSIC CLASS ONCE A WEEK IN ADDITION TO THEIR CLASSROOM DAILY ACTIVITIES. OUR TODDLER GROUP 2-3 YEAR OLDS HAD AN APPROXIMATE GROUP SIZE OF THIRTY-ONE (31) ENROLLED, WITH CREDENTIALED, EXPERIENCE TODDLER TEACHERS, ENSURING THAT THE CHILDREN RECEIVE THE INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.