Growing Together:

The DCYF Newsletter

October 2025

Celebrate Lights On Afterschool with Us!

The 26th annual nationwide Lights On Afterschool celebration is coming up on Thursday, October 23, 2025! 

Lights On Afterschool draws attention to the many ways afterschool programs support children, youth, and families, and sends a powerful message that millions more children and youth across the country need quality afterschool programs.

In recognition of Lights On Afterschool, DCYF, our grantees, City departments, and anyone else who wants to participate are invited to join San Francisco's Lights On Afterschool Lightbulb Photo Challenge!

Please join the Lightbulb Photo Challenge!

Participation is easy - only four steps! - and fun: 

1. Let Us Know You’re In! Please fill out our five question 2025 Lightbulb Challenge Google Form confirming that you will participate.

2. Picture Day! Round up anyone else who wants to join, and snap a photo of them in a "lightbulb pose," like the photos in this article. 

3. Send Us Your Pic! Send your final Lights On Afterschool image to emily.davis@dcyf.org.

4. Share Your Pic on Lights On Afterschool Day! Share your Lightbulb Challenge image on your social media channels on Lights On Afterschool Day, Thursday, October 23.

We hope that you will join us, and help shine a light on the wonderful work of afterschool programs in San Francisco!

2026 Summer Resource Fair: Exhibitor Registration Opens November 1

The annual San Francisco Summer Resource Fair will take place in February 2026 at the SF County Fair Building. The official date of the event will be announced in mid-October 2025.

The Summer Resource Fair connects representatives from 100 summer programs, camps, and services for children and youth in grades K-8 with over 2,500 San Franciscans who are kicking off summer planning for their families.  

Any San Francisco agency that provides programs or services for children and youth in grades K–8 and their families is welcome to be an exhibitor, and there is no cost to participate.

General exhibitor registration will open on Saturday, November 1 at 11am on the Summer Resource Fair page on the SFGov website. Exhibitor slots are filled on a first come, first served basis and always reach capacity, so please be sure to register ASAP!

If you have any questions about the Summer Resource Fair, please contact Emily Davis at emily.davis@dcyf.org. 

Oversight & Advisory Committee Updates: Open Seats and Next Meeting

The Oversight and Advisory Committee (OAC) serves as DCYF’s advisory body, providing a space for community members and service providers to discuss decisions related to the Children and Youth Fund, and to share recommendations with our department.

We are actively recruiting for all OAC seats appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (seats 7-11). Staff of DCYF grantee agencies are not allowed to be OAC members, but we would appreciate it if you would let people in your community know about the open seats. Visit the OAC page via the button below for more information.

The next meeting of the OAC will take place on Monday, October 27, 2025 at 5pm in the Lobby Conference Room at 1455 Market Street. The meeting will also be accessible online via Zoom. Visit the OAC page via the button below within a week of the meeting to access the agenda, meeting packet, and Zoom link.

Opportunities for Youth Ages 14-24

The Opportunities for Youth Ages 14-24 page on the SFGov website highlights programs, jobs, internships, and other opportunities currently open for applications or registration.

If your agency would like to share an opportunity on the page, please let us know at info@dcyf.org. 

Announcements, Resources, and Events

Our415 Resource Website

Use the Our415 website to find programs, services, and anything else you need to raise a family and grow up in San Francisco. 

We are driving a lot of traffic to Our415, so be sure to check your agency's listing(s)! If you want us to make any edits, let us know at our415@dcyf.org.

Resources for Immigrant Children, Youth, and Families

DCYF and the entire City & County of San Francisco want to help immigrants, asylees, and refugees connect to resources, opportunities, and more. 

Immigrant Services and Resources Landing Page

Created by the SF Immigrant Forum, this page is a comprehensive source of services, resources, and events. 

The page includes Know Your Rights information, links to immigration legal help, healthcare access, housing and shelter support, financial assistance, and much more. The Immigrant Services and Resources Landing Page can be translated into Spanish, Traditional Chinese, and Filipino.

Want to get involved? The next meeting of the SF Immigrant Forum is coming up on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. Learn more and register here. 

Funding Opportunity: SF Arts Commission's 2026 Grant Opportunities

Local artists and arts organizations are invited to apply for funding support of up to $50,000–$145,000 through the SF Arts Commission's new streamlined grant application process.

Applications are being accepted for two types of grants:

• Artistic Legacy Grant, application deadline: October 22, 2025
• Arts Impact Endowment Grant, application deadline: November 13, 2025

Community Youth Center's Youth & Young Adult Job Fair

The CYC Job Fair connects youth and young adults (ages 14–24) with local employers hiring for part-time, seasonal, and entry-level positions. Participants also gain access to resume workshops, mock interviews, professional headshots, and other resources to build workforce readiness.

📅 Wednesday, October 15, 2025 from 1pm to 5pm at Stonestown Galleria (3251 20th Avenue)

OEWD Winter RFP: Community Listening Sessions

The SF Office of Economic & Workforce Development (OEWD) is preparing to release a new Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide workforce services for San Francisco residents. To ensure this process reflects community priorities, OEWD is hosting a series of community listening sessions this Fall. Your input will help shape workforce programs that create equitable opportunities for San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents!

📅 Sessions will take place on October 16, November 5, and November 13, 2025.

SFUSD's 2026-2027 Enrollment Fair

Families who will apply for TK, elementary school, middle school, or high school for the 2026-27 school year can come to the annual SFUSD Enrollment Fair to learn about the application process, meet school principals and other representatives, and access resources provided by SFUSD and other city agencies and community organizations. DCYF will be there - be sure to stop by our table!

📅 Saturday, October 18, 2025 at Balboa High School, from 10am to 2pm.

San Francisco's Annual Free Financial Planning Day

The SF Public Library is hosting a free day of financial learning, featuring one-on-one counseling with CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals and workshops on investing, tax season updates, and behavioral finance. Workshops will be held in the Koret Auditorium and livestreamed on Zoom.

This is a hybrid event. Registration is required for Zoom attendance, while in-person workshops are first come, first served. Register for individual workshops using the calendar link below, and secure your one-on-one counseling session at the Main Library’s Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room.

📅 Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 10am to 5pm.

2nd Annual Keepin’ It Safe in the City

The San Francisco District Attorney's Office Youth & Young Adult Services Unit, in partnership with public safety and community stakeholders, will host the 2nd Annual “Keepin’ It Safe in the City” children’s public safety event! This free, family-friendly event is for children ages 5–10, and will feature games, raffles, a fire truck, police cars, motorcycles, clowns, jumpers, face painting, food, and more. Please be sure to register if you would like to attend.

📅 Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 10am to 2pm at Civic Center Plaza

San Francisco District 10 Health Fest

The 13th Annual D10 Health Fest: From Healthy Roots to Autumn Radiance is coming up soon! The event will feature: 

• Holistic health resources
• FREE Health Screenings
• Healing & Wellness Hubs
• Fun Fitness Activities
• Vendor Row
• Entertainment & Cultural Performances
• Family-Friendly Activities

📅 Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 11am to 4pm at the Southeast Community Center (1550 Evans Avenue). 

Spooky Halloween Fun at Sigmund Stern Grove

Join the SF Recreation & Parks Department for Scaregrove, their free, annual, family-friendly Halloween event! Enjoy a haunted house, carnival rides, hay maze, arts and crafts, live entertainment, and food for sale.

📅 Friday, October 24, 2025 from 3:00pm to 9pm at Sigmund Stern Grove (19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard)

Department of Elections X Y4SF Election Demonstration

Learn how to vote with the San Francisco Department of Elections! At this event, elementary, middle, and high school students will watch a short video about voting rights, then fill out a practice ballot. Students place their ballots into a real ballot scanner, just like on Election Day. At the end, students will count and share the results of their mock election.

If you're interested in joining this event, please RSVP, and don't forget to bring a friend! 

📅 Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 3:30pm to 5pm at SF City Hall.

Children, Youth, and Family Summit: Aligning for Thriving Communities

Hosted by Prosperity Initiative and the Family Services Alliance, this convening will bring together nonprofit leaders, City officials, and foundation partners to strengthen coordination and partnership in support of San Francisco’s children, youth, families and the workforce that serves them.

The Summit will center collaboration as the foundation of thriving communities, and will feature:

• Panels with City leaders, funders, and nonprofit staff
• Interactive discussions on solutions and systems change
• Networking opportunities to deepen cross-sector partnerships

📅 Friday, November 7, 2025 at UC Law School San Francisco from 10am to 3pm.

Get Help with Food, Cash, Health Care and Job Assistance

In challenging times, benefits like food, cash, jobs, and health care assistance can help you and your family find stability and peace of mind. The San Francisco Human Services Agency is there to help!

Find out how you and the people you care about can connect with assistance.

Visit Museums for FREE with Museums for All 

Through the City’s Museums for All program, San Francisco residents with EBT or Medi-Cal cards can get free or reduced admission to more than 25 local museums and cultural centers! 

Visit the San Francisco Museums for All page to find out which museums are participating, and to learn how to get free tickets. 

Land Acknowledgement Statement

The San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (DCYF) acknowledges that it carries out its work on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone, the original inhabitants and stewards of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the government agency that stewards the Children and Youth Fund, we accept the responsibility that comes with resources derived from property taxes upon unceded and colonized land. We recognize the history and legacy of the Ramaytush Ohlone as integral to how we strive to make San Francisco a great place for life to thrive and children to grow up.

Learn about the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone.