Growing Together:

The DCYF Newsletter

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Announcements, Resources, and Events from DCYF and Our Partners

Be Here! Help Public School Students Thrive with Strong Attendance and a Sense of Belonging

When students feel like they belong at school and show up every day, they’re more likely to stay on track, succeed academically, and build lifelong confidence. Missing just two days a month can make it harder for a kindergartener to learn to read, a middle schooler to stay engaged, or a high schooler to graduate ready for what’s next.

Vibrant schools are the heart of a thriving city and economy. That’s why we’re proud to support the Be Here! campaign, as it brings together City departments, SFUSD, students, families, businesses, and community leaders to send a united message:

Be Here! Because school is where students grow, connect, and thrive.

Learn more, join the Be Here! Social Media ShareOut campaign, access family resources, and find out how you can support student attendance at the Be Here! website. 

Internships, Programs, Scholarships, and Other Opportunities for Youth Ages 14-24

If you are, know, or work with youth ages 14-24, it's one of the best times of the year to visit the Opportunities for Youth Ages 14-24 page on SF.Gov: the application periods for some of the City's best school year programs for youth close soon, some by the end of this week!

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

Children & Youth Fund Oversight & Advisory Committee Updates

Over the last month, five new members of the Children and Youth Fund Oversight & Advisory Committee (OAC) were sworn in at City Hall: Yvette Edwards, Eloise Krehlik, Prasanthi Patel, Ryan Hazelton, and Jenny Pearlman. We're looking forward to working with them to continue making San Francisco a great place to grow up!

Open Seats on the OAC. The OAC seats that are appointed by the Board of Supervisors are still accepting applications (seats 7-11). Please visit our OAC page to learn more about them, and how to apply.

Next OAC Meeting. The next meeting of the OAC will take place on Monday, October 27, 2025 from 5pm to 7pm. Visit the OAC page for more information about the meeting.

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? Here are a couple of upcoming opportunities:

Citizenship Day. The San Francisco Pathways to Citizenship Initiative will be celebrate Citizenship Day on September 17th with a press event uplifting newly naturalized citizens and encouraging eligible green card holders to take advantage of the free naturalization resources available to them in San Francisco. All are welcome!

SF Immigrant Forum Meeting. The next meeting of the SF Immigrant Forum will take place online on Wednesday, September 24. Learn more and register here. 

Help Shape the Future of San Francisco Government

Here's some San Francisco trivia: the City & County government includes nearly 150 advisory boards and commissions!

Prop E, approved by the voters last November, created a task force to review the City's advisory boards and commissions and make recommendations to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors about opportunities to modify, consolidate, or eliminate them. 

The Commission Streamlining Task Force is meeting now through the end of the year to develop these recommendations, and they want your feedback.  

Here’s what to know:

• The task force meets every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 1pm in City Hall, Room 408. Meetings are open to the public, and streamed live on WebEx.
• You can learn when the task force will review and make recommendations on each advisory board or commission by going to the task force’s website and clicking on the ‘Planned Decision Calendar’ in the Resources section.
• Submit written public comment to the task force by emailing Streamlining@sfgov.org prior to the meeting. Comments will be posted on the task force’s website with contact information redacted. You can also give public comment live during the meeting, either in-person or on WebEx.

For meeting information and other resources, visit the Commission Streamlining Task Force page on the SFGov website. 

Events and Funding Opportunities

San Francisco Pregnancy Family Village

Join the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood (DEC), the Bayview YMCA, and other community partners for the monthly SF Pregnancy Family Village! Build community, learn about services and resources, and receive incredible support for a healthy pregnancy and birth. There’s even a barbershop for the fathers!

There are three more SF Pregnancy Family Village events coming up in 2025. They will all take place at the Bayview YMCA, on Saturday, September 13, Saturday, October 11, and Saturday, November 8.

Happy Hatchday, Claude!

September 15 is Claude the albino alligator's 30th birthday/hatchday! We're sure we're not alone in believing this occasion needs to be recognized as an official holiday in San Francisco (ahem, Mayor Lurie!). 

One day is not nearly enough to celebrate three decades of the City's favorite gator: the California Academy of Sciences and other partners are honoring Claude's 30 years with 30 days of giveaways, special events, and more. 

While most of the Claude commemorations will happen in September, our friends at the SF Public Library have something special coming up later this fall: they will issue the first-ever albino alligator-themed library card, featuring a beauty shot of Claude!

Support for Families' Access to Adventure Day 

Learn about inclusive, recreational afterschool programs available in San Francisco at this family fun day at Presidio Tunnel Tops! Connect with other families, and staff from Support for Families and SF Recreation and Park’s Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion Services.

Be sure to drop by the DCYF tent to play our fishbowl game and to get a demo of the new Our415.org website!

📅 Saturday, September 20, 11:00am to 3:00pm

See You at the Heart of the Richmond Night Market!

The final Richmond Night Market of 2025 is coming up!

Clement Street between 22nd-25th Avenues will host delicious local eats, amazing local talent, and beautiful local goods.

If you come to the Richmond Night Market, stop by the DCYF table to meet with Emily from the DCYF Community Engagement & Communications Team, and get a demo of the new Our415.org website!

📅 Saturday, September 20, 4:00pm to 8:00pm

Funding Opportunity: Family-Focused Services for Incarcerated Parents 

The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office is looking for dedicated non-profit partners to help strengthen families and nurture parent-child connections for those impacted by incarceration. They are seeking proposals from organizations with a passion for

• Building and strengthening parenting skills
• Creating safe, welcoming spaces inside jails for meaningful parent/child visits
• Supporting family reunification and healing for incarcerated parents who qualify

Interested partners can learn more and apply by looking under current opportunities with the San Francisco Sheriff's Office at this link. 

📅 Applications are due by September 24, 2025.

City Kids Family Fair

City Kids Family Fair is a fun, family-friendly event that showcases many of the early care and education programs and services available to San Francisco families through Children’s Council and many other community organizations.

📅 Saturday, September 27, 2025

Funding Opportunity: Foot Locker Foundation Community Empowerment Program 

LISC and Foot Locker, Inc., through the Foot Locker Foundation, are offering a round of grants for the Foot Locker Foundation Community Empowerment Program. One year grants of $25,000 to $75,000 are available to fund nonprofit community organizations that connect youth to mentorship, education, career development, and health services. 

📅 Applications are due by September 30, 2025.

Community Challenge Grants Program

Do you have an idea to beautify your block, energize a public space, or bring neighbors together?

The City & County of San Francisco's Community Challenge Grants (CCG) program is offering up to $150,000 for community-led projects that enhance safety, belonging, and resilience in San Francisco neighborhoods. From murals and gardens to block parties and greening, CCG can help make your vision real!

📅 Applications are due by October 9, 2025

SFUSD 2026-2027 Enrollment Fair

Families who will apply for PK, 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 the 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.

2026 San Francisco Summer Resource Fair

The annual Summer Resource Fair is the place for children and youth in grades K-8 and their families to start making summer plans! The 2026 Summer Resource Fair will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026 from 11am to 2pm at the County Fair Building.

If you are part of an agency that would like to be one of our 100 exhibitors at the Summer Resource Fair, mark this date on your calendar: Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 11am: that's when exhibitor registration will open!

Resources for Children, Youth, and Families

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. 

Want to get notified about all things Our415? Join the email list!

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.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Arrives in San Francisco!

If your child lives in the City and County of San Francisco, you can now register them with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library! Every month until their fifth birthday, they’ll receive a free book to keep forever in their home library. 

Find Sites Near You Serving Free Meals for Children and Youth 

The CA Meals for Kids Mobile App can help you find sites serving free afterschool snacks and suppers all over the state of California! You can use the app to find sites by address, county, city, zip code and partial site name. Download it for free on your iOS, Android, or Microsoft devices.

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. 

Translation Requests

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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.