Rachel Samoff, Chairperson

Rachel Samoff is the Executive Director of The Children’s Pre-School Center in Palo Alto, a program for approximately 140 children from infants to Kindergarten entry which she founded in 1984 as one of the Bay Area’s early employer supported early childhood centers. Before 1984, Rachel worked with young children, mostly in not for profit settings for the past 44 years including teaching children, coordinating parents, educating teachers, designing curricula, and directing child care facilities in the United States and several countries in Africa.

In addition to work as an educator directly with children, parents, and teachers, Rachel has been active in the early childhood advocacy and public policy field. She served for over 20 years on the Palo Alto Child Care Task Force, the Palo Alto Child Care Advisory Council, and the Palo Alto Task Force for Family Support. For several years she chaired the Palo Alto Child Care Advisory Committee. She was also involved in the creation of the Santa Clara CARES program, which uses First 5 funding to encourage professional growth and training for early childhood educators in Santa Clara County.

Rachel’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s Degree from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Early Childhood Education and Multicultural Education.

Commissioner Samoff represents
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, District 5
Tel: 408.260.3700