As we begin the new year, we reflect on our collective accomplishments in 2022. In our initial year as a new city department, DEC has established itself as a strong advocate for young children and a key strategic funder of early education, child health and well-being, and family support initiatives. We are here to preserve our City’s legacy as a champion for young children and their families as we build towards an even better future.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our funded programs and partners, DEC services reached thousands of educators, parents, caregivers, and children from families that reflect the rich ethnic and linguistic diversity of our City. We have so much more in store for the future , so we are proud to share some of the highlights of our collective work in 2022.
Strategic Plan 2023-27
All of this started when First 5 San Francisco and the Office of Early Care and Education officially merged to become the new San Francisco Department of Early Childhood! Now, we have completed our department’s first strategic plan, one that centers parent perspectives and experiences creating a bold vision and roadmap for advancing racial equity within our city’s early childhood system of care.
New and Expanded Investments
- $70 million annual investment in workforce compensation.
Last year marked the launch of our Workforce Compensation Initiative which guarantees a living wage for all early educators working within the City’s Early Learning San Francisco network. - $40 million that increases access to early care and education.
In 2022 we expanded eligibility for early care and education financial support from 85% of State Median Income (~$95k for a family of four) to 110% of Area Median income (~$152k for a family of four). - $60 million for early care and education facilities.
With this investment over the next two years, we will build the early care and education facilities and spaces needed to expand early care and education access, especially for infants and toddlers. - $19 million for Family Resource Centers.
Family Resource Centers are key resources for parents and caregivers. This investment bolsters a robust network of family resource centers (FRCs) designed and resourced to support all families. - $1 million for Early Screening Systems
Developmental health and support begin by building a fully realized system of early developmental screening and intervention for all families.
DEC’s Impact in 2022
- Approximately 8,000 children participated in DEC-funded early learning programs
- Five new early care and education centers built with DEC facilities funding opened in 2022 adding an additional 219 spaces to our City-funded network.
- 7,153 parents and 3,043 children participated in Family Resource Center programs
- 3,043 children received developmental screenings
- More than 2,000 early educators received compensation support through CARES 2.0, CARES 3.0 and the Early Educator Salary Support Grant raising annual income by as much as $50,000 per educator.
We are looking forward to the year ahead and our continued partnership to ensure every child in San Francisco has the best start in life and our city is a great place to raise a family. If you want to learn more about the 2023 – 2027 strategic plan, visit this page to dive deeper. Happy New Year.