El Carmelo Kids’ Club

About El Carmelo Kids' Club

El Carmelo Kids' Club, often shortened to ECKC, is an after-school program for children at El Carmelo Elementary School, 3024 Bryant Street. It is one of the Kids' Clubs run by Palo Alto Community Child Care, a local nonprofit known as PACCC. The club serves students from transitional kindergarten through fifth grade and is based at the school's Bryant Street address.

PACCC lists the club's site supervisor as Christina. Families can reach the club at [email protected] or 650-856-6150. This listing describes the program as PACCC publishes it. It does not compare it with other programs or offer parenting advice.

Grades and schedules

The club's page sets out care by grade:

• First to fifth grade: after-school care with pickup until 6 p.m.
• Kindergarten: after-school care until 6 p.m. A shorter option, until 2:30 p.m., is available through mid-October.
• Transitional kindergarten: after-school care until 6 p.m. or until 2:30 p.m.
• School holidays: full days from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for all grades on Palo Alto Unified School District holidays.

Families pick a schedule of one to five days a week. Extra hours are available only when there is space. The club does not offer drop-in care. Children get a healthy snack every day. PACCC publishes monthly tuition for its Kids' Clubs on a separate page.

About Palo Alto Community Child Care

PACCC was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in March 1974. According to its history page, it grew out of work by six mothers who, starting in 1969, pressed the City Council to support childcare. The city's Child Care Task Force then recommended that Palo Alto take an active role.

A few milestones from PACCC's own history:

• In 1989, PACCC set up after-school care at every elementary school. Its number of centers grew from 7 to 15.
• In 2014, the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce gave it a Tall Tree Award as outstanding nonprofit.
• In 2022, it added after-school care for transitional kindergarten at its Kids' Clubs.
• In 2023, it opened 126 after-school spaces for the school district's Expanded Learning Opportunities Program.

PACCC runs other Kids' Clubs too. Its enrollment page lists clubs named Addison, Barron Park, Besse Bolton, Duveneck, Escondido, Hoover, Juana Briones, Ohlone, Palo Verde and Walter Hays, each with its own tour link. Today PACCC says it serves more than 850 children a day at 18 centers across Palo Alto, from two months old through fifth grade, 52 weeks a year.

How to enroll

Applications go through the PACCC Family Portal on its website. PACCC says families may apply up to one year before the start date they want. There is an application fee. Families who complete the financial aid questions in the application and qualify have the fee waived. PACCC links to its funding criteria and income guidelines.

PACCC strongly recommends touring with your child before enrolling. El Carmelo tours can be booked online, either in person or virtually. For enrollment questions, email [email protected].

Questions to ask on a tour

A tour is a good time to learn how the club works day to day. Useful questions include how children get from their classroom to the club, what a typical afternoon looks like, how homework time is handled and how staff communicate with families. Ask too what changes for kindergarten families once the shorter 2:30 p.m. option ends in mid-October. PACCC's page does not describe daily activities, so the tour is where you will learn about them.

Tips for families

• Apply early if you need a set start date, since applications open a full year ahead.
• Check the PACCC annual calendar for holiday full days, which follow the district calendar.
• Ask the site supervisor how pickup works and who may collect your child.
• If cost is a concern, look at the financial aid section during the application.

El Carmelo Elementary is in the Midtown area, about 0.8 miles from the California Avenue Caltrain station. Our Midtown guide covers the neighborhood. Our schools guide explains the school district. For days off, Palo Alto with kids has ideas for weekends and school breaks.

Location and getting there

El Carmelo Kids’ Club is at 3024 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306-2335, in the Midtown area of Palo Alto. Our Midtown guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the California Avenue Caltrain station, about 0.8 miles away. That is roughly a 20 minute walk or a short bike ride.

Parking: street spaces or a small lot nearby; check posted limits.

What is nearby

• Gryphon Stringed Instruments, shop, 0.3 mi
• Grocery Outlet, food shop, 0.5 mi
• Opus 1 Music Studio, school or studio, 0.5 mi
• Yutori, cafe, 0.5 mi
• Tie Mu Zhen, restaurant, 0.5 mi
• Boulware Park, 0.4 mi
• Hoover Park, 0.4 mi
• Robles Park, 0.7 mi

Other everyday services nearby: Say Ray (0.4 mi); Building Kidz of Palo Alto, Lambert Avenue (0.4 mi); Veterinary Emergency Group (0.5 mi); Chase Middlefield Road (0.6 mi). Browse the full everyday services list.

Before you go

• Call ahead to confirm hours and whether you need an appointment.
• Ask for a written estimate before any repair work starts.
• Bring an ID and any paperwork you may need, such as a receipt or account number.

About this listing

Checked October 29, 2026 against El Carmelo Kids' Club, PACCC; PACCC history; PACCC enrollment information. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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