What began as St. Patrick’s Day Care Center on Clementina Street—serving 30 children in a single classroom—has transformed into a multifaceted organization committed to fostering the holistic development of young children. In the late 1980s, we became officially known as South of Market Child Care, Inc. (SOMACC), signaling our shift from a traditional daycare model to a mission-driven educational institution grounded in developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and inclusive early learning practices.

In 1998, SOMACC opened its flagship facility, the Yerba Buena Gardens Child Development Center (YBG CDC) on Folsom Street. This was followed by the launch of the South of Market Family Resource Center (SOMA FRC) in 1999, co-located at YBG CDC, to offer comprehensive support services that promote family stability, mental and physical health, parenting education, and community connection.

To continue meeting the evolving needs of our community, SOMACC relocated its original Clementina Street site in 2006 to a low-income housing development on Natoma Street. The site was renamed the Judith Baker Child Development Center (JB CDC) in honor of a long-serving and visionary leader. While the JB CDC played a vital role in our expansion, it was permanently closed in 2022 due to external challenges.

In 2014, SOMACC was presented with an opportunity to further extend its reach. After a highly competitive process, we were selected by Mercy Housing California (MHC) and the San Francisco Office of Early Care and Education (SF OECE)—now known as the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood (SF DEC)—to operate a new early childhood education site within the Transbay Project Area. The Transbay Child Development Center (TB CDC) officially opened in December 2019. This center has significantly broadened our capacity to serve more families, especially those residing in new affordable housing developments.

Today, SOMACC is proud to be an established leader in early education. What started as a modest program has grown into a comprehensive early childhood education and family support organization. We now serve nearly 130 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers annually at two schools. In addition, our SOMA FRC reaches over 500 families each year, providing parenting workshops, case management, community events, and more.

SOMACC’s programs are rooted in the belief that education and family empowerment are interconnected. We are dedicated to nurturing children’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and social development while strengthening the families and communities around them. By preparing children for lifelong learning and well-being, we help lay the foundation for a more just and thriving society.