Funding requirements and forms

Funded providers help to ensure that every child 0-5 has access to high quality, affordable early care and education. See below for guidelines and forms you will need to use as a PFA and ELS participant. 

Operating Guidelines

The ELS-PFA Operating Guidelines describe policies and procedures for funded programs such as payments, reporting, and programmatic requirements. 

The operating guidelines are subject to change at least annually and were last updated in July, 2022.

ELS-PFA Operating Guidelines

January 2023 Policy Update

Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Family Fee & Proration Relief Policy

Quality Requirements

Quality Standards

The Quality Standards describe the requirements and expectations of a city-funded program with important information to help programs understand each standard and the connection to every child’s development.  Based on research on the development and education of young children, the standards were created with input from national and state experts and input from educators in San Francisco. The standards define what we believe all early childhood programs should do when caring for young children. To participate as a city-funded site, programs must meet all ten (10) standards. 

Quality Pathway Portfolio Tool

The Quality Pathway Portfolio is a tool to help interested Early Childhood Educators to reflect on their current quality practices, and identify strengths & areas for growth. The Portfolio is also a tracking system to assist programs who have applied to Early Learning San Francisco to organize and to track their progress in meeting quality standards. This tool has multiple tabs which include a Quality Standards Checklist, Professional Development Plan and Tracker, Staff Qualification Form, and Curriculum Statement Form to help you develop your portfolio.

Quality Standards Resource Guide

This resource guide will provide information about online, technical assistance and training resources that are available to you as you complete your Quality Portfolio.

Funding Information Documents

ELS Center Reimbursement Rates (FY 22-23)

ELS Family Child Care Reimbursement Rates (FY 22-23)

PFA Tuition Credit Amount (FY 22-23)

Family Income Eligibility (FY 22-23)

Family Forms

ELS Family Eligibility Form for Center-MRA Funding (FY 22-23)

Data Collection Acknowledgement and Consent Forms (FY 22-23)

Please note: OECE does not require providers to return families’ completed data consent forms to us. We ask that you simply keep copies of signed forms in each child’s file and mark in Mocha that the child’s form has been signed.

Preschool for All Tuition Credit Family Agreement Form (FY 22-23)