The final steps uniting the San Francisco Office of Early Childhood Education and First 5 San Francisco will become official in the next couple of weeks! The next generation of work can now begin with our becoming the newly formed Department of Early Childhood.
First 5 and OECE have each had long histories of supporting young children and families in San Francisco through innovations in early care and education, family support services, and child development. As the collaboration between our two organizations has increased through the years, we realized we are even better together! We thank you for your participation in our planning so far. We are excited to continue collaborating with you as we turn the page to our next chapter of supporting our youngest residents and their families.
The Department of Early Childhood (DEC) is a City and County of San Francisco department dedicated to our young children’s safe and healthy development. As the City’s largest funder of early childhood, the DEC is committed to creating a system that ensures every child can thrive and learn. We will provide public investment, expertise, and leadership to put resources into the hands of those who care for our City’s youngest children.
Here is what you need to know:
- Integrated services mean greater efficiency and quality. The newly formed DEC will continue to support OECE’s and First 5’s current initiatives, but with our integration, we will have the expanded capacity to bring together the parents, childcare providers, and partners in our community for a more holistic system of support for young children.
- The DEC takes into account changing demographics in the City, burgeoning interest in early education at the state and national levels, and opportunities for continuous quality improvement at every level—all with a commitment to equity, to ensure that every child in San Francisco is getting what they need.
- DEC will administer funds from San Francisco voter-approved Proposition C, a commercial rent tax, dedicated to children’s early care and education and the early educator workforce. The new funding promises to do even more for San Francisco’s children and those who care for them—and backs up that promise with dedicated resources for the long haul.
In the coming weeks, we are excited to announce more details and launch the Department of Early Childhood. To follow along, join us on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Don’t be shy– share this with families, friends and colleagues!
We are honored to continue serving San Francisco’s families, providers, and most of all, children. Thanks for joining us!