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DEC provides free parenting support and resources through a network of 26 Family Resource Centers across San Francisco. These centers offer parents a chance to stress less by providing free programs that can enhance parenting skills and knowledge of child development, giving parents the confidence to raise happy, healthy children.
In 2022-2023, family resource centers (FRCs) offered over 18,000 parenting classes, playgroups, family events, and other activities to over 11,000 families and their children. Participation by children is up 65% since the low point of the pandemic, and participation by parents—which was not hit as hard—is up 21%.
In 2023, DEC and FRCs also worked together to make Week of the Young child in April a citywide celebration for families. FRCs hosted more than 40 family friendly events throughout the City, connecting thousands of new families to information about their neighborhood family resource centers and reminding those who already participate about all the FRCs have to offer their families. This celebration really brought into focus what a valuable resource FRCs are for parents, children, and families to build community.
Family resource centers are one of the most important services for parents in San Francisco to build community, reinforce their relationship with their child, and find support from experts.
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| Case Management (Family Advocacy/Case Management) | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 86 | 9666 | 1529 | 36 |
| Curriculum-based Parenting Series | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 79 | 775 | 552 | 14 |
| Differential Response Case Management (Referral from Child Welfare for Family Adcovacy/Case Management) | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 10 | 3075 | 253 | 30 |
| Enhanced Visitation | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 9 | 1080 | 69 | 39 |
| FRC Family Events | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 33 | 138 | 1162 | 573 |
| One-time Parent Education Workshops | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 150 | 503 | 1866 | 241 |
| Parent Leadership | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 63 | 510 | 688 | 21 |
| Parent/Child Interactive Groups | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 116 | 1879 | 1300 | 1278 |
| Parent/Peer Support Groups | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 102 | 1186 | 1568 | 20 |
| Total | |||
| Activities | Sessions | Parents & Caregivers | Children |
| 648 | 18,812 | 8,987 | 2,252 |
Formal intake, needs assessment, and facilitated service planning process to assist families in developing a plan of action to address concerns impacting child development, health related issues, and/or family functioning. Presenting issues to be addressed may include: child safety, family functioning/relationships, parenting, health, mental health, substance abuse, and/or well-being. Consistent monitoring is provided to review progress towards service plan identified goals and desired outcomes.
Curriculum-based parent education (CBPE) provides a minimum of 8 sequential learning sessions of a minimum 1.5-hour duration per session for a core group of attending parents and caregivers. The parenting series aims to engage families in a developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate curriculum to help parents develop positive relationships with their children. Minimum participation standards are set for families that are considered graduated from the curriculum and participants complete a pre- and post- assessment to evaluate changes in parenting practices.
Provision of Differential Response Services requires referrals from SF Family & Children’s Services. Differential Response is a home-based service which includes contacting and visiting families with children who have been assessed by the CPS hotline and have been determined to have no or mitigated safety threats. FRC will then work to engage families in voluntary services appropriate to meet their needs; family may benefit from DR family advocacy or case management services. FRCs must follow procedures as outlined in the DR Procedure Manual and must participate in HSA sponsored workgroups, quality assurance, and evaluation activities.
Intended for Child Welfare involved families who are seeking reunification (time-limited and/or court ordered), this service is designed to support and expand the availability of neighborhood-based locations where family visits can occur. Visitation services are in-person and can be offered for extended durations and flexible visiting hours including evenings and weekends must be offered.
Small, fun, recreational or cultural in-person events held either on-site or in another location on a quarterly basis to enhance program accessibility. Events provide currently enrolled participants the opportunity to increase their social networks and for FRC staff to strengthen relationships with families currently enrolled in the FRC. Such activities include Dinner and a Movie, Meet and Eats, Coffee/Tea hours, and celebrations open primarily to currently enrolled FRC participants and their families.
Classes and groups which provide information and support for families to reduce disparities in school readiness and success. Topics may include but are not limited to: Enrollment in the Public School and/or Early Learning Systems, Understanding Key Transitions to Kindergarten, Middle School, High School, and Higher Education; Navigating critical school Issues such as school placement, attendance and access/adherence to academic interventions such as the IEP.
Parent/caregivers can participate in leadership activities at FRCs, such as the Parent Advisory Council or Parent engagement focus groups, where feedback and input are taken into consideration for DEC funded FRC activities/services. In these leadership activities, FRCs make an intentional effort to engage a diversity of parents who are representative of FRC participants’ socio-cultural and economic demographics.
Parent/caregivers engage with their children and youth in developmentally, culturally, and language appropriate in-person activities utilizing a structured curriculum approved by DEC. The curriculum may be either an agency developed curricula, or one developed by a curriculum vendor. The curricula includes age-appropriate activities, materials, and equipment which are utilized to support school readiness and success and encourage parent-child bonding.
FRCs conduct culturally and linguistically responsive support groups targeted to one or more of the following: parents with a common cultural, social, language, or other such affinity (e.g. Black Mothers Group, Spanish-speaking Fathers Group); parents of newborns/young children; mothers; fathers; parents of elementary age children; grandparents/kin-caregivers; single parents; pregnant parents; parents of tweens/teenagers; and others as parent request/needs arise. Support groups are held frequently and consistently at either on-site or in another consistent location to enhance program accessibility and to encourage parents to develop a close-knit social circle.
To learn more about the Family Resource Centers, and find one near you, visit our webpage.