Policy and Planning Documents

A review of the strengths, gaps, and duplications in City-funded services to San
Francisco’s children, ages birth to five, and their families.

The release of DEC’s Communications and Community Engagement Plan for 2023-2027 marks a significant milestone in our commitment to supporting the city’s youngest children and their families through clear, effective, and inclusive communication. The plan is designed to guide our department’s efforts over the next three years. It outlines five

San Francisco has a robust history of investing in early childhood education, preparing its youngest residents for their best start on their academic journeys. Originally funded by First 5 San Francisco, the first representative district-wide kindergarten readiness assessment was conducted in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) in 2009.

DEC provides funding and collaborates with the Child Care Planning and Advisory Council to produce a comprehensive needs assessment for early care and education every five years. San Francisco Early Care and Education Needs Assessment – Executive Summary Download Executive Summary San Francisco Early Care and Education Needs Assessment –

The creation of the Department of Early Childhood puts San Francisco at the national forefront of early childhood services, providing unprecedented resources and allowing us to be bold.  The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan helps us catalyze bold action by defining our vision and values, setting clear goals and strategies, and establishing

Per the legislative mandate of the Office of Racial Equity, in 2020 each City department was required to complete a Racial Equity Action Plan providing a blueprint for advancing racial equity in all aspects of the department’s work over the next three years. The two City agencies that merged to form