Children's Council of San Francisco Impact Report FY23-FY24
Child Care: invest in children, and we all win
At Children’s Council, we believe in a San Francisco where every child is able to reach their full potential and thrive.
Will you help us ensure that all families in our city have access to quality, affordable child care and preschool?
60% of San Francisco’s children age 0-5 live in families that STRUGGLE to afford child care, housing and other basic needs.
What’s the issue?
Child care is a basic human need. San Francisco is an amazing city known for its culture, diversity and innovation, yet 50% of our city’s children aren’t getting the kind of care they deserve. With too few child care and preschool programs, and care more expensive than ever, parents are stressed. All families need a nurturing, enriching and safe child care environment so they can thrive.
Why does child care matter?
In the first year of life, a baby’s brain doubles in size. By age three, their brain is 80% of the size it will be when they are an adult. By age five, 90% of a child’s brain is fully developed. Quality child care and preschool give young brains the attention and stimulation they need to blossom.
The reality is…
For more than half of all San Franciscans, quality child care is out of reach. With the majority of families spending 31% of their income on child care, only 33% can qualify for subsidies to make it more affordable. It’s not easy to apply for or maintain a child care subsidy, and the wait lists can be long – that’s where Children’s Council comes in.
An investment in Children’s Council is an investment in San Francisco families and children:
• So that every family in San Francisco will be able to find and pay for quality child care. This levels the playing field and gives all children the chance to succeed in school and in life, bridging the achievement gap before it even starts.
San Francisco Families: Making Ends Meet?
• So more child care providers will be able to start, grow and improve the quality of the early childhood education they provide. This allows them to secure their own financial wellbeing, and to serve as community anchors in the neighborhoods where they live and work. 23%
Source: The 2022 Self-Sufficiency Standard for San Francisco County, Center for Women's Welfare, University of Washington.
*Figures from California Family Needs Calculator
Source: The 2022 Self-Sufficiency Standard for San Francisco County, Center for Women’s Welfare, University of Washington.
What are we doing about it?
At Children’s Council, we’re supporting families and child care providers, and partnering with policymakers so that all children in San Francisco get equitable access to quality child care and early education. That means: Supporting families
• Families are able to find and pay for child care and preschool that meets their needs.
• Parents can work and contribute to our city’s economy, or they can go to school in order to get a better job.
• Families are more resilient, connected and supported. Supporting child care providers
• People who love engaging with children can launch nurturing child care businesses.
• There are more high-quality infant and toddler child care programs in San Francisco.
• Through 1-on-1 guidance, trainings and ongoing support, the quality of child care improves for all San Francisco children. Supporting our community
• Local and state leaders understand the critical importance of child care, and support family-friendly policies that ensure child care is higher in quality, as well as more affordable and accessible.
buildthesupplyofhigh-qualitycaretomeetdemand
Families and Caregivers
When our kids are well cared for, our families thrive. When our families thrive, our city is stronger.
Will you join us?
Give
Parents are an important part of our workforce. Now more than ever, they need affordable, accessible child care to return to work after having a baby and to maintain their jobs. Flexible and predictable workplace arrangements can increase productivity, satisfaction and loyalty, and reduce absenteeism and turnover. At Children’s Council, we partner with employers in the Bay Area to provide specialized education and referral services to their employees. Together, we can make San Francisco family-friendly for all employees.
Why do employers partner with Children’s Council?
• Augment family benefits for new or expectant parents in their workforce
• Assist their workforce in getting affordable, high-quality child care
• Make jobs more accessible to parents in fields where schedules change week to week or are hard to predict
• Make all employees feel good by establishing a partnership with a nonprofit supporting children
What services does Children’s Council offer for employees?
Inquire today about hosting a workshop or employee volunteer opportunities! Please contact Amie Latterman at alatterman@childrenscouncil.org
VIRTUAL AND ON-SITE WORKSHOPS
We can host regularly scheduled or onetime virtual or in-person workshops at your workplace tailored to the needs of your employees. Topics may include:
• Choosing Infant Care – how to start your search, licensing regulations and evaluating quality indicators
• Choosing a Preschool – learn about types of preschools, educational philosophies and navigating the application process
ENHANCED CHILD CARE REFERRALS
Everyone can use support finding child care, especially if you work unusual hours, or need a new child care arrangement due to a work or home schedule change. We can give your employees:
• Personalized 1-on-1 assistance to find an affordable and high-quality child care arrangement that works with your employee’s budget and their schedule
VOLUNTEERING
Today’s employees are looking for meaningful ways to give back. We offer a variety of virtual and in-person volunteer opportunities, including helping with:
• Annual City Kids Family Fair (Fall) and Child Care Champions Showcase & Auction (Spring)
• Diaper bank service, lending library, technical trainings and assistance for early educators
• Playgroups and other workshops
• Organizing and advocating for family friendly public policies through Parent Voices
Executive-Level Volunteerism
Become an Executive-Level Volunteer
Volunteers at this level include our Associate Board, Women’s Business Leadership Council and Governing Board of Directors. These child care champions come from all walks of life, leveraging their time, skills and passion for our city’s children to advance affordable, quality child care. We offer advisory committees to match many different areas of expertise: finance, technology, events, marketing/public relations, development. Interested? Email volunteer@childrenscouncil.org
Learn more about Annual Corporate Sponsorship opportunties at childrenscouncil.org/partner-with-us.
BizNest: supporting child care businesses and early educators
BizNest at Children’s Council helps people in San Francisco and beyond launch and nurture thriving home-based child care programs while improving their skills as educators and business owners.
It’s a win for both children and small business
• Child care businesses are started and sustained
• Marginalized entrepreneurs are celebrated and succeed
• Access to high-quality child care grows in low-income neighborhoods
Children’s Council walked me through the whole licensing process, they helped me get my site ready for inspection, and made opening my child care business seamless. Their workshops about marketing, business and branding... so many things I never would have thought about, all of it has been great. And when I interact with the staff at Children’s Council, they’re always so patient and kind.”
— Krystle Danridge-Pierson, Director, Each One Teach One Child Care
We support early educators to start or grow a child care business
• Educational workshops: From launching a child care business to compliance, funding, family engagement and more
• Licensing assistance: CPR trainings, reporting, home visit inspections and other requirements
• 1-on-1 coaching and mentorship: Linguistically and culturally competent guidance and support
• Financial assistance administration: Support families who need child care or preschool subsidies
• Access to grants, loans or resources through our Lending Library, workforce compensation and supplements
• Healthy Apple & Child Care Food Program: Incorporate nutritious foods and physical activity into child care programs
• Supporting children with special needs: Acquire the resources needed to properly care for children with learning or physical barriers
• Professional network: Learn from best practices, grow a support network and get guidance from experts
• Child Care Finder: Marketing to local families looking for care
• Tech support: Training in common computing skills needed to run a successful child care business
Supporting child care entrepreneurs from start to finish!
Over the years, Children’s Council has built a reputable, professional network of family child care business owners and educators caring for our city’s most vulnerable children.
Attract families and boost business
Marketing support, increased referrals and access to premium rates
Get expert advice
1-on-1 coaching to learn about child development, navigating systems and getting business advice
Network and learn from peers
Network of hundreds of providers, workshops and educational opportunities
Access resources
Early Education Relief Fund for child care business owners, PPE, and toy and book Lending Library
1,793
Children receiving nourishment
Family Child Care Business Incubator
$1,343,883.95
Money Still Needed: $450,000
The Family Child Care (FCC) Business Incubator, one of our signature BizNest programs, launched in 2019 and has successfully supported established and aspiring FCCs in opening and growing their business.
120+
New child care businesses successfully trained and launched in San Francisco
1,067
Prospective and established providers served across 19 California counties. Of these, 65% identify as BIPOC
970+
New child care slots created
Through the professional support and guidance from Children’s Council
I’ve gotten to know so many of my peers; we support and help each other. We have had so many trainings and conferences; they help with anything you need to improve your quality as a child care provider… They have been so important in my life.” — Aricela Aranivar, family child care provider for 20+ years
The reality:
25%
Our health and nutrition programs feed babies + toddlers
Child care plays a critical role in overcoming food insecurity. While busy parents are working, little ones spend up to 50 hours a week being cared for by a nurturing child care provider. When you work two jobs and there still isn’t enough food in the refrigerator, it’s a relief knowing your child will be in a loving environment where they get the stimulation, socialization and critical nourishment they need.
Our programs are dedicated to reducing food insecurity and hunger among low-income families and families of color in San Francisco.
Filling little bellies and starting good habits that fuel a lifetime (annual numbers):
Filling little bellies and starting good habits that fuel a lifetime (annual numbers):
899,418 Free, healthy meals for children
1,793
Children receiving nourishment
*annually
100+
Parents trained on nutrition and cooking Dollars Needed to Feed Kids
237+
Child care providers trained on nutrition
Money Secured: $1,343,883
Money Still Needed: $450,000
“I can go to work full time without worrying about my kids. With Children Council’s help, I know my kids are at a safe place. They receive nutritious meals at their pre-school. That’s a big plus and a big help for our family.”
— San Francisco parent
of children in San Francisco are going to bed hungry
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JACKIE
Profile of a Successful New Child Care Business Owner
For nearly a decade, Jackie Shaw, 44, a single mother of three, worked three jobs to make ends meet.
Everything changed in March 2020, when her eldest daughter gave birth to twins in the same month that all of their kids’ schools switched to distance learning. She and her daughter began taking turns watching each other’s kids so they could continue to work.
Faced with a choice between her multiple jobs and her family’s well-being, Jackie decided to become part of the solution. With help from Children’s Council, she began working towards her child care license in September 2020, and earned it in June 2022. Now she runs a full-time, unsubsidized daycare center from her home.
Jackie’s goal is to offer care beyond the standard nine to five schedule, a significant challenge for her when she was a working mom.
Focus on Black Community Impact
children who experience one B/AA teacher young child are 13% more likely
ONE BLACK CHILDREN WHO EXPERIENCE
BLACK TEACHER AS A YOUNG CHILD ARE
13%
MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, & 19%
MORE LIKELY TO ENROLL IN COLLEGE
Theory of Change
to graduate from high school, and 19% more likely to enroll in college7.
Since 2021, Children’s Council has secured more than $3.5 million in competitive contracts through the citywide Dream Keeper Initiative that aims to ensure San Francisco’s diverse Black communities are advancing educationally, economically, and holistically.
Dream Keeper efforts include:
• The third cohort of our Black Early Childhood Educator Pipeline, in partnership with Las Positas College. From higher education coursework to job placement and beyond, this innovative program has helped 111 Black San Franciscans establish a fulfilling career path in child care to-date.
• For the past three years, the Children’s Council’s Family Child Care Business Incubator — part of our BizNest suite of programs and services for new and established early educators — has been a catalyst for change in early childhood education. We have supported Black and African-American educators through the process of obtaining their child care licenses and enhancing their business skills. Our program has helped open 20 new Black-owned family child care businesses, creating at least 120 child care slots for families in diverse communities. Additionally, we have supported
Focus on Black Community Impact
over 100 existing Black and African-American educators in growing and sustaining their businesses. We distributed more than $900,000 in start-up grants and mini-grants to these educators. We also celebrated 21 Black and African-American Legacy Providers. These dedicated individuals have devoted their lives to nurturing and educating the children of San Francisco, with businesses ranging from 15 to an astonishing 47 years in operation, making a lasting impact on our community.
• Facilitation of our citywide African American Early Childhood & Education Policy Council, 20+ Black early educators who are moving the needle on the persistent kindergarten readiness gap of San Francisco’s Black children.
In partnership with:
MARGARITA
Profile of a Growing Child Care Business Owner
Margarita always dreamed of owning her own business. After immigrating to the US from El Salvador, caring for her young children came first, so she put her dream on hold. When her youngest started school, she got a part-time job. She was an assistant to the owner of a thriving high-quality child care program in the Bayview that served families with subsidies. When the owner decided to move, Margarita got her chance to live out her dream.
She bought the business, got her own state license and took over the space. It was a struggle initially to figure out all the proper requirements with the city. But even during the pandemic, Margarita was able to stabilize her business, remaining open throughout 2020. She even moved to a new location where her business is now thriving.
Margarita received support from Children’s Council in the form of one-on-one consultation/coaching and professional development opportunities. In 2019, Children’s Council also connected her with a Women’s Entrepreneurship Fund grant presented by MEDA. Margarita is now qualified to serve children receiving the city ELS voucher. She actively participates in small group cohorts for child care educators and is taking child development classes at City College of San Francisco.
Family Services: supporting the whole family and the whole child
When you are the parent of a small child, there’s so much joy in experiencing San Francisco’s diversity and culture through their eyes. But on a day-to-day level, being a parent can be tiring and lonely. The right kind of social and child care support can make the difference between struggling to manage it all and thriving. At Children’s Council, we are with families every step of the way. Our programs meet families where they are, and provide comprehensive, flexible and individualized support that affirms and builds on families’ strengths.
Confidence | Support | Community
Why do families turn to Children’s Council?
I want to find the right child care.
• 1-on-1 child care counseling and referrals
• Placement services for children with special needs
• Group workshops on how to find infant care or preschool
I need help affording child care.
• Assistance finding affordable child care
• Subsidies for low-income families
• Connection to support for other critical needs (housing, employment, food, etc.)
I want to learn more and connect with other parents.
• Toy and Book Lending Library
• Weekly workshops and networking opportunities
• Annual City Kids Family Fair
• Playgroups supporting child development and peer support groups that build parental resilience
I’m passionate and want to give back.
• Volunteer
• Get involved with Parent Voices and make quality child care affordable and accessible
• Participate in public policy and media awareness opportunities
When I became a single parent, I realized that finding child care for my daughter would be really hard. I started coming to Children’s Council in order to participate with Parent Voices, which has been a wonderful thing for myself and for my daughter. It’s allowed her to make other friends, and I’ve connected with other parents so I don’t feel alone.” — Cyra Koupal, Zenaida’s mom
Spotlight on the Play Lab
Our Play Lab offers experiential learning and community building for parents, caregivers and children.
Children’s Council Play Lab opened in Fall 2021, after a multi-year fundraising and planning campaign. Thank you to our many supporters who made the Play Lab possible. The Play Lab is an adaptable, multipurpose classroom and interactive space for children, families and caregivers. Play Lab programming includes playgroups, monthly parent cafés, a support group for new and expecting moms, a toy & book lending library, child development texts and workshops facilitated by experts, and we look forward to supporting family reunification for those involved with the Child Protective Services system. It also accommodates other needs of families seeking child care.
At the Play Lab:
• You are part of a bigger community of parents, caregivers and children.
• Parents can have an immersive experience of what to look for in quality child care programs.
• Families find a respite from life’s stressors, and parents can support each other.
• Parents and caregivers can use or borrow unique toys, books and learning materials from our curated library.
Why supporting the whole family is so important
Grounded in the universal evidence-based framework of the Five Protective Factors, Children’s Council’s family services meet families where they are to provide comprehensive, flexible and individualized support and connection in a way that affirms and builds on families’ strengths.
Janelle
Profile of a Family
When Janelle first came to Children’s Council, she needed immediate child care for her two toddlers. One of her sons was autistic and the other son had shown some developmental delays. She had recently graduated from an intensive job training program in the construction trades, and was in need of child care that could meet the needs of her children.
Shortly after graduating from her trade program, she began her career in the construction industry. The hours, however were grueling - her day would begin as early as 5am, and she was asked to work some evenings and weekends. Finding a child care educator close to her home in the Bayview, who was able to support her family’s needs, was challenging.
At Children’s Council, we have a team of Family Support Navigators who work closely with families in both finding a child care educator that meets their needs and connecting them to valuable community-based organizations, in order to provide whole family support.
With the support of a Family Support Navigator, Janelle was able to secure care with a child care educator who was willing to support the non-traditional child care hours and connect her to supportive community resources that meet the specific needs of her family.
Spotlight on Children with Disabilities
Many young children with special needs are turned away by child care programs whose teachers do not feel equipped to support their needs.
At Children’s Council, we are:
• Expanding the options for children with disabilities or special health care needs by promoting the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the early educator community, and offering specialized trainings
• Providing families with high-touch referrals and assistance, and enhancing our mobile-friendly Child Care Finder with a “Special Needs Quality Badge”
Spotlight on 2023
In 2023, we focused on keeping and reopening child care programs and training and establishing new providers to keep San Francisco working!
Here are some of our accomplishments, thanks to our generous supporters and hardworking team:
6,807
1,504
holistic family needs assessments conducted by our specialists
children connected to $108.5 Million in financial assistance for child care
$43+ million distributed to hundreds of child care programs countywide to enhance wages for 3,000+ early educators
10
8
Parent-Caregiver Education workshops/ events provided for skill building to better support their families
814
BIPOC micro-entrepreneurs supported through technical assistance, coaching and business incubator training bags of fresh produce and boxes of diapers given to families
600+
220
120+
Advocacy Highlights
• Worked in coalition to organize 700+ parents, child care educators, providers and advocates turned out at City Hall to urge San Francisco city officials to keep Baby Prop C funding intact during a difficult budget year, saving $120 million in child care funding slated to be redirected to other services over the seven years.
• Trained and organized parents who qualified for child care subsidies to tell their stories to Local, State and National policy-makers through our Parent Voices San Francisco chapter.
• Worked in partnership with Parent Voices California to win a new equitable family fee schedule that went live on October 1, 2023. Eliminated $100 million/year in fees for families earning at or below 75% of state median income (SMI) and capped fees at 1% for those earning more.
$554,000 new child care businesses trained and launched, resulting in 970 new child care slots!
899,418 in funds distributed to help child care businesses launch and grow
111 Black ECE Pipeline program participants enrolled/trained healthy meals and snacks provided for children, an increase of nearly 70,000 year-over-year
244
community based organizations we partner with annually
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Children’s Council’s 5-year Strategic Plan names diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in one of our top four core focus areas of work across the organization.
San Francisco’s diversity is reflected in the children, families and early educators we serve on a daily basis. Every year, we touch the lives of nearly 25,000 people—many of whom are immigrants, people of color, those with special needs and those experiencing traumas like homelessness, abuse or neglect. We strive to develop our staff’s ability to approach all clients with a trauma-informed, empathic and culturally responsive approach.
We are also focused on strengthening our internal culture, climate and systems so that Children’s Council becomes a more diverse, equitable, enjoyable and inclusive place to work. And we are strengthening the ways this shows up for our board leadership, as well as programmatically.
To reach these goals, we are:
• Leveraging staff and community input to develop an organizational DEI Framework
• Developing a multi-year plan to ensure that our programs, staff and board demographics reflect and are responsive to the communities we serve
• Engaging with staff, funders and partners to share and communicate progress against our strategic plan
• Explicitly targeting our programmatic work to drive positive impact for communities of color—particularly those most disenfranchised by systemic racism and generational poverty, and those therefore most impacted by the pandemic
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Measuring our Progress
Our Goal: Strive to have our staff demographics better reflect who we serve, so we ensure our services are empathetic and culturally relevant
Financial spotlight
A Financial Overview of Fiscal Year 2023-24*
Your contributions make it possible to provide innovative programs that ensure:
• Kids receive quality early education where they learn academic skills, eat healthy meals and gain critical social skills
• Parents are amazing caregivers and great employees contributing to a thriving community and economy
• Early childhood educators have the skills and support they need to nurture the next generation of San Franciscans
Our Supporters
Government Funders
California Department of Social Services
Dream Keeper Initiative
San Francisco Department of Early Childhood
San Francisco Department of Public Health
San Francisco Office of Economic & Workforce Development
Innovators
Bainum Family Foundation
Blue Shield of California Foundation
Crankstart Foundation
Hellman Foundation
John & Terry Levin Family Foundation
Marin Day Schools
Mimi & Peter Haas Fund
Pacific Office Automation
Investors
Anonymous
California Child Care Resource & Referral Network
Capital Group
County of Sonoma
Goldman Sachs
MCT Technology
Mechanics Bank
Mental Wellness Foundation
Gale Mondry & Bruce Cohen
Anna Nordberg & Brant Thompson
Parent Voices California
San Francisco Public Health Foundation
Elizabeth & Andrew Spokes
United Parent Leaders Action Network
Wells Fargo Foundation
Champions
Anonymous
Rehana Abbas & Timothy Ogburn
AXA XL
Jackie & Timothy Bavaro
Janice & Thomas Berthold
Child Care Resource Center
Marga Dusedau & David Sklar
Susan & Doug Hendrickson
Jessica Hilberman & Katrina Reid
Kaiser Permanente
Low Income Investment Fund
Emily & Michael McKinnon
Barbara* & John Osterweis
River City Bank
Safe & Sound
San Francisco Health Plan
TA Associates
The Chrysalis Fund
Maegan Warehouse & Kevin Puleo
Patrons
Anonymous
Katie Albright & Jake Schatz
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Sarah & Sean Behr
Emily & David Casnocha
Milton Chen & Ruth Cox
Sierra & James Clark
Crescent Porter Hale Foundation
Family Child Care Association of San Francisco
Cheryl Frank & Michael Linn
Gina & Reed* Fromer
Tom & Jamie Geidt
Golden State Warriors
HalfMyDAF
Harrington Group
Holy Family Day Home
MacKenzie & Tam Huynh
Amanda & Ben Jacobson
Molly & Kirk Lacob
Microsoft
Mindshare Group
Moonstar Charitable Organization & Daisy Li
Amanda Renschler
Noah Rosenthal
Kanade Shinkai
Barbara Shragge, in honor of Sandee Blechman
Laura & Greg Spivy
Roselyne C. Swig
The San Francisco Foundation
Amy Warehouse & Brad Steinle
Wu Yee Children’s Services
Mary Yoklavich, in honor of Nora Yoklavich
Advocates
Anonymous
Milagros & Jose Acosta
Kathleen Boord
Bright Horizons
Janice Brody & Bruce Rule
Lara Cohen
Gwendolyn Cornwell
Kathleen & Todd Darling
Elisabeth Diana & Richard North
Meredith & Stephen Dodson
Corina Dumitrescu
Early Care Educators of San Francisco
EDvance College
Family Connections Centers
Flagstar Bank, N.A.
Flynn, Shojinaga & Associates
Victoria & Nicholas Fram
Google Inc.
Holly Gordon & David Pearce
Julianna Hayes
Melinda Kanter-Levy
Nataly Kozanian
Sterling & David Mace
Fran Maier
Katie McDermid
Gale Mondry & Bruce Cohen, in honor of Anna Nordberg
Ashley Murphy
Leslie Naify
Lawrence Ng
Lisa S. Pritzker
Ripple
Safeway Foundation
Na’eem Salaam
San Francisco Human Rights Commission
Deborah Sims
Wendy & Bob Singley
The Sobrato Family Foundation
Brenda Wright
Kara Wright
Sustainers
Anonymous (2)
Anonymous, in honor of Jessica Hilberman
Adobe Inc.
Amalgamated Bank
Armanino LLP
Sandee Blechman & Steven Goldberg
Carrie Byles
California Structural Builders
Mark & Carrie Casey
Susan Chang
Atri Chatterjee
Children’s Day School
Cathy & Sandy Dean, in honor of Gale Mondry
Dorman Associates Inc.
Rameez Dossa
Stacey Dunn-Emke
FACES SF
Kelly Fair
Family Support Services
Eric Fischer
Todd Fox
Clare Gupta & Andrew Myers
Annie Hahn
Gina & James Halow
Heising-Simons Foundation
Amy Hockman & Brian Bone
We thank our generous partners & supporters who contribute their time, money & talent toward our shared vision of quality child care & early education for all children in San Francisco.
Jennifer & Howard Holderness
Gretchen Hollstein
Lisa Kearns
Elaine Lai
Sally Large
Las Mananitas Preschool
Amie & David Latterman
Barbara & Benjamin Lawler
Danielle Lazier
Elisabeth Long
Kim Lubin
Emilie & Andrew Lynch
Michele D. Macpherson
Ragini Mathur
McNabb Foundation
Amy McNamara
Mission Child Care Consortium
Maiken Moller-Hansen
Barry Mondry-Cohen
Montessori House of Children
Eric & Mami Mori
Sabrina Moyle & Julian Abdey
Kelley & Josh Myerberg
Wayne Nordberg
Pacific Primary School
Charmaine Pattinson
RDJ Enterprises
Bill & Merilee Rosberg
Mary & Peter Rosberg
Iris Saligman
Lisa Sauer, in honor of Susan Hendrickson
Nancy Schieffelin
Barbara Shragge
Yensing Sihapanya
Stella Maris Academy
Melissa & Brent Stephens
Kim Stryker & Mark Anderson
Oscar Tang & Pyrena Hui
Erica & Evan Teiger
The Redwoods in Yosemite
Ashwin Pai & Gerd Thomsen
Janet Traub
TZP Cares Foundation
Brandy Vause
Rosita Villelli
Abbey & Paul Walker
Phillip Warner
Elizabeth & Richmond Watkins
Supporters
Anonymous (2)
Ameriprise Financial
Aricela Aranivar
BANANAS
Cecily Banks
Lynne Beeson
Ann Belden
Tanya Bernstein
Carolyn Bianco
Vanessa Bilanceri
Ellie Bingham
Carolyn Block
Renel Brooks-Moon & Tommie Moon
Megan Bruno
Omar Butler
Thandiwe Cato
Marlinawati Chan
Connie Chiang
Coleman Advocates for Children & Youth
Angela Coo
Cross Cultural Family Center
Ben Doyle
Peter & Alice Eisenman
Felton Institute
Cheryl Garcia
GLIDE
Holly Gordon & David Pearce, in honor of Farris Page
Melissa Grimm
Shannon Higa
Hively
September Jarrett
Diori Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Arjan & Dalbir Khalsa
Elsie Lam
April Leung
Jake Levinson
Marc Levit
LinkedIn
Mona Malan
Andy McLoughlin
Judy & Michael Michalek
Leslie Milloy
Mission Kids Co-Op
Mission Neighborhood Centers
Noelle O’Donnell
Maureen Offer
Meredith Osborn
Farris Page
Debra Plousha-Moore
Emily Poague
Barbara Powell
Claudia Quinonez
Laura Saponara, in honor of
Amie Latterman
Diana Schneider & Patrick Wolff
Laurel Spolter, in honor of
Gina Fromer
St. James Catholic School
Margie Stokes
Mark Tao
Chris Thomas
Jody Verwilst
Emily Walling
Monica Walters
Yanmei Wang
Ruth Donig-White & Robert E. White
Jason Woosley
Brenda Wright, in honor of
Sydney Wright
Shunxia Ye
Judy Yi
Lorita Yip
Lynne Yuster
Janet Zamudio
Friends
Anonymous (4)
Francisco Anguiano
Eric Arnett
Elisabeth Avnet
Susan Bailey
Jenise Bermudez
Shipra Bhardwaj
Kimberly Brandon
Margaret Brodkin
Rhett Burden
Jill Burns
California Early Childhood
Mentor Program
Brenda Chan
Elise Chan
Sharon Chen
Child Care Law Center
Austin Claiborne
Allyson Cline
Jessica Craig
Fonda Davidson
Jose Diaz
Jaime-Alexis Fowler & Adam Borelli
Jacki Fromer
Lauren Goeppert
Matt Goettelman
Lowana Gooch
Valerie Goode
Shivani Goswami
Ryan Hazelton
Bobbie Sue Hood
Andra Hritcu
May Huang
Carol Hunter
Moneer Jamil
Blake Johnston
Shari Kaufman
Krista Keegan
Chantha Khiev
Laura Kim
Linnea Klee
Kayci Lacob
Learning Links Preschool
Dr. Saidah Leatutufu-Burch
Lisa Lee
Kristy Leffers
Jacky Leung
Barbara Levinson
Brandon Li
Elisa Magidoff
Luis Mamayson
Jonathan Mar
Denise Marica
Jan Masaoaka
Erin Medlin
Gale Mondry & Bruce Cohen, in memory of Reed Fromer
Robin Park
Perella Weinberg Partners
Alex Popken
Ines Portugal
Jennifer Provine
Phillip Riles
Martha Roditti
Sit Ross
San Francisco Marin Food Bank
Stacey Scott
Gianna Shepard Bruno
Ivyanka Smothers
Betty Somocurcio-Leon
Angelique Tompkins
Leelee Treadwell
Lisa Trottier
Barbara Wein
Nancy White
Ruth Donig-White & Robert E. White, in honor of Gale Mondry
Ashley Williams
Grace Williams
Richard Wollack
Dale Zeigler
Donors
Anonymous (22)
Anonymous, in honor of Baby A & Baby B Anonymous, in honor of Daisy B. Anonymous, in memory of Noel St John
AbbVie
Sophia Adler
Chude Allen
Jessica Alves Amazon
Amazon Smile Foundation
Deb Anaya
Charlotte Angeles
Adelina Arcelona
Ludwig Omar Arias
Kathy Asmussen
Sarai Baca
Alexander Bankovich
Dwain Baptiste
Shrimathi Bathey
Gavin Berry
Dipesh Bishwakarma
Danielle Black
Victor Bonfilio
Senovia Brown
Meg Buckwalter
Monica Bueno
Lilian Cai
Emilie Calhoun
Je Ton Carey
Rosie Castillo
Thomas Chan
Naeemah Charles
Caleb Chen
David Cheng
Joshua Chin
David Cohen
Dalis Cruz
Deandre Davis
Kerry Dolan
Virginia Dold
Cynthia Drake
Ann Dryg
Eric Eiserloh
Ariuntuya Enkhtsetseg
William Fan
Ava Farab
Cleofe Feniquito
Rupert Feniquito
Veena Feniquito
Ven Marc Feniquito
Victoria Fong
Jamie Freedman
Chris Galang
Joel Giannelli
Gilead
Jeremy Goldberg
Maria Gomez
Susan Grant
Esteban Gutierrez & Leticia Ornelas
Jennifer Haas
Anne Hannah-Roy
Claudia Hardin
Linda Harlow
Linda Harlow, in honor of
Katherine Galossi
Candace D. Harris
Louise Harrison
Diana & Joe Hilberman
Caroline Hill
Christine W. Hiroshima
April Homan
Yen Huynh
Mary Ignatius
Instacart
Khairoun Ismail
Tiffany Jackson
Yolanda Jenkins
Jacob Jiao
Samantha Jo-Dato
Kasa
Eddie Kaufman
Koji Kawano
Deirdre Kennedy
Moanam Khalid
Sarah Kiehn
Marilyn Kirk
KKR
Raymond Kong
Kroger
Legacy Society
Lucy Kwok
Michael Lai
Angus Lam
Sen Lam
Denis Lancerin
Mary Lee
Patrick Lee
Joan Levison
Gladys Lewis
Heather Liu
Jing Liu
Melinda Liu
Michael Livshits
Helen Loeser
Caton Lu
Xue Yan Lu
Maria Luz Torre
Jennifer Machlin
Michele Marcus, in honor of Amanda Jacobson & Sandee Blechman
Isabel Mateus Pedro
Lindsey Maule
Stephanie McCary
Lawrence McClure, in honor of Beth Ann McClure & Max Sklar
Magda McDonald
Genevieve McGee
Todd McKenna
Allison Metz
Kayley Miller
Chanel Moody
Eileen & John Morris
Patricia Murillo
Sri Narayanan
Barbara Ng
Daisy Nguyen
Erin Nolan
Sam Nordberg & Joan DeGeorge
Sheila Norman
Julia Ogrydziak
Masako Oishi
Matt Padberg
Matt Petroski
PG&E
Loan Phung
Latoya Pitcher
Allison Pollock
Joan Price
Joan Price, in memory of
Olivia Robey
Maria Christina Prieto
Angie Ramirez
Amy Rassen
Jennifer Rauscher
Leslie Roffman
Crystal Roseberry
Judi Rosen
Aaron Rosenthal
Shufang Ruan
Karol Ruiz
Grace Ruth
Milagro Salamanca, in memory of Nora Cuadra
Aliza Schnayer
Anne Senores
Vikas Sharma
Raquel Sharp
Jon Skolnick
Talia Smith
Jennifer Soenens
Rosario Somocurcio
Margarita Spataro
Valerie Statham
Anita D. Stearns Mayo & James Mayo
Marc Thompson
Turner Uppgren
Susanna Upton
Debbie Veatch
Rose Vilma Gass
Doris Wan
Portia Wan
Sandy Warehouse
Craig Wasserman, in honor of Marga Dusedau
Kate Weiss, in memory of Esther Loretta Weiss
Nancy White, in memory of Sandra Treacy
Shellie Wiener
Dawnielle Wright
Howard Wynn
Leann Mei Ai Yu
Qihao Yu
Xiaoxia Zhen
Rebecca Yuting Zheng
Bi Xian Zhu
The Legacy Society recognizes and honors all individuals who provide support for Children’s Council of San Francisco in their wills, trusts, retirement plans, life insurance designations and other planned gifts. By joining others who have taken this step, you can take satisfaction from knowing that you are part of an important legacy.
Anonymous (7)
Ann Dryg
Monique El’Amin
Matthew Ellis
Sarita Escobar
Erica Esparza
Ruth Gemora
In-Kind Donors
American Conservatory Theater
Another Planet Entertainment
Children’s Creativity Museum
Club Fugazi
Cole Hardware
CVS
Fathers + Daughters Cellars
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco
Frisco Brandy
Yvette Guardado
Tazia Harris
Maria Jandres
Maryetta Jefferson
Mohan Kanungo
Lourdes Lautan
Danielle Lazier
Instacart
It’s Yoga Kids
Mary Jung
Molly & Kirk Lacob
Jake Levinson
Maria Luz Torre
Elvia McKinley
Renel Brooks-Moon & Tommie Moon
Moonstar Charitable Organization & Daisy Li
email development@childrenscouncil.org.
Queenie Lee
Carol Lipof
Dion Montalvo
Sola Morrissey
Masako Oishi
Felicia Pitre
Porche Releford
Elizabeth Najera Sanchez
Oakland Zoo
Presidio Bowl
Preston Farm & Winery
Roka Akor
Ryme Cellars
Raegan Sales
San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Department of Public Health
San Francisco Giants
Karina Sanchez
Shelly Scott
Ana-Marie Urbieta
Marissa Valdez-Montalvo
Maica Watson
Tiffani Whitfield
Meifen Xie
San Francisco Zoo
Smuin Ballet
Sunnyside Elementary PTA
The Alton
The Hilberman Family
The Redwoods in Yosemite
Linda Vause
Wait Cellars
Bi Xian Zhu
It Takes a Village: meet our team
Introducing Our Diverse Leadership Team
Our executive leadership team is a vibrant mosaic of individuals whose various lived experiences uniquely equip them to center community in setting our strategic direction. Bringing experiences from across generations, industries, sexualorientation and gender identity, race/ethnicities, each member brings a rich tapestry of personal narratives that shape our collective vision. Team members bring lived experiences as mothers, fathers, aunties, abuelas, children of educators and caregivers of all kinds. Their diverse backgrounds and deep-rooted empathy allow us to approach challenges with a profound sense of understanding and inclusivity, ensuring that our strategic decisions are anchored in the needs and aspirations of our community.
Meet the individuals who lead our team in fostering a culture where every voice is valued, and community remains at the heart of all that we do.
Our Executive Team
Assisting 25,000 families every year and overseeing a staff of 160+, our Executive Team is made up of inspiring, highly experienced leaders who draw from the community’s knowledge to guide the organization forward.
Claudia Quinonez Chief Strategy & Impact Officer
Barbara Coccodrilli Carlson President and Chief Executive Officer
Amie Latterman Chief Advancement Officer
Phillip Warner Chief Compliance Officer
Tiffany Stephens Chief Technology Officer
José A. Rodríguez Chief Human Resources Officer
Ben Doyle Chief Programs Officer
Eric Fischer Chief Executive Officer
It Takes a Village: meet our team
Mission-Focused + Culturally Competent
• We have expertise in the Strengthening Families Protective Factors anchored in trauma-informed care and social work.
• A third of our staff have academic and professional certifications in pedagogy, child development, psychology, social work, public policy and family studies/health.
• One-quarter of our staff have real-world experience as child educators or caregivers.
• Over half of all staff are bilingual.
• We provide services in five core languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian.
Every family faces unique challenges. It’s our job to make sure every family we work with is heard, understood and supported. That’s why our staff have a unique blend of cultural competencies, early childhood certifications and real-world child educator experience.
Our Board of Directors 2023-24
Our board is comprised of dedicated community and business leaders who are passionate about quality child care and early education.
Executive Committee
Rehana Abbas, Chair
Amanda Renschler, PsyD, Secretary
Marga Dusedau, Treasurer
Directors
Sarah Behr
Dominique Benavidez
Omar Butler
Thandiwe Cato
Jessica Hilberman
Amanda Jacobson
Molly Lacob
Jake Levinson
Farris Page, Emeritus
Kanade Shinkai
Deborah Sims
Maegan Warehouse
Child Care Matters: learn about the impact of Children’s Council
Children’s Council of San Francisco
For 50 years, Children’s Council has been a champion for families in San Francisco. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we advocate for quality early care and education, empower families with information and financial support, and build the capabilities of educators to ensure that every child in San Francisco has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be.” — Rita Pierson, Educator
Connect. We give our city’s children the opportunity to succeed by connecting families to quality child care and the financial resources to pay for it.
Partner. We partner with child care providers, community organizations and local and state policymakers to elevate the quality and affordability of available child care.
Steward. We steward government funds that support low-income families’ access to nurturing, developmentally appropriate care for their children.
Innovate. We leverage private support to develop innovative programs that strengthen families, support children’s developmental needs and nurture child care businesses.
We believe in a San Francisco where every child is able to reach their full potential and thrive.
Child Care Matters: learn about the impact of Children’s Council
Why does child care matter?
• A nurturing and loving environment — a safe place to learn new skills, eat healthy food and grow
• The support parents need to maintain a job, get a new one or go back to school
Parents can work and financially support their families
Child Care Providers are community anchors, preserving diversity of SF neighborhoods
Children succeed in school, work and life
In San Francisco, families face a unique child care challenge:
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Child care costs in San Francisco are the highest in the country. Most SF families spend $1,800-$2,400 per month on child care — more than a month’s wage for many residents.
There are only two licensed child care spots for every 10 babies. Thousands of families, particularly those with infants, are waiting for a spot to open.
Without access to child care, parental stress grows. Balancing work, life and your child’s developmental needs is very difficult. brains grow | careers flourish | families and communities thrive
