Children's Council of San Francisco

Children’s Council has created a holiday resource guide to connect families to resources like food pantries, hot holiday meals, free clothing, toy drives and additional support services.Check out our blog below for more information. Happy Holidays! ❄️🎁 https://lnkd.in/gRVxdZa2

Join us at our next Parent Café to connect with fellow parents and families, in-person, dinner and child care provided! Build supportive relationships with other families while learning how to better manage the stress of parenting. Enjoy engaging with your peers and our child development experts. Please RSVP for adults and children separately. We hope to see you and yours soon! https://lnkd.in/gvGvXaQw

Lucia Cazares, Children’s Council Evaluation Manager, recently presented at the American Evaluation Association (AEA)’s annual conference, Evaluation 2025, in Kansas City.  (Pictured at left with colleague María Camila López Ruiz, Program Data Coordinator.) Lucia offered the team’s best practices on the organization’s phased internal evaluation approach, designed to make evaluation more collaborative, feasible, and equity-centered across 20 diverse programs. This was the first time Children’s Council’s Research, Data and Evaluation Team presented to a national audience of evaluators, and they were pleased to be able to reinforce Children’s Council commitment to building a culture of reflection and data use across programs. #EVAL25

Ready for Thanksgiving? Here is an easy, fun (and quick!) activity to help kids get ready for this special & meaningful holiday! Make a gratitude jar: Decorate a jar (or plastic container or shoebox) and ask everyone in the family (or in your classroom/day care) to write or draw things they're grateful for on slips of paper. Put the gratitude notes inside and pull them out on Thanksgiving - or whenever someone needs a pick-me-up! 🧡

On November 7, Children’s Council of San Francisco and Parent Voices SF were proud to attend the Children, Youth & Family Summit hosted by the Prosperity Initiative and the Family Services Alliance. This summit brought together elected officials, City department heads and non-profit leaders for important conversations on how to continue making the city a destination for children and families. We look forward to continuing to help shape the child care landscape in San Francisco.

Next week! You're invited to Children's Council's free workshop on November 19th at 6pm: Getting Started - Child Care Fundamentals virtual workshop. Learn about how to get started on your child care journey.💫 Register Here: https://lnkd.in/gwVdUQEP Please email outreach@childrenscouncil.org with questions.

Join the BCDI-San Francisco Village on Sat, Nov 15 at 10:45 am for a special Black Panther Party Museum visit! This visit will feature exhibits that center the lived experiences and contributions of Black movement builders, activists and educators in the struggle for freedom and liberation. We will view public art, educational exhibitions and historical artifacts.  We welcome children for this family-friendly event, but they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.   Free with RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gpJTpHZY Funding for this project provided by the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood. Children’s Council of San Francisco is pleased to be the event sponsor. This free event is open to all (regardless of cultural background) who have a vested interest in supporting, uplifting and affirming Black children.

Parents & Educators, take a moment this Wednesday to breathe & reset! Join Children's Council and the BCDI-San Francisco Village on Wed, Nov 12 at 1pm for a brief Guided Meditation Circle for Parents and Educators. This virtual session on Zoom will feature guided meditation, breathing and relaxation techniques and wellness activities. We want to support educators, parents and advocates on their wellness journey! This activity is open to all community members. If possible, we strongly encourage educators at child care sites to join us during students' nap time to relax, rejuvenate and build community with other educators. Free with RSVP: https://lnkd.in/g9MgXN3v Funding for this project provided by the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood. Children’s Council of San Francisco is pleased to be the event sponsor. This free event is open to all (regardless of cultural background) who have a vested interest in supporting, uplifting and affirming Black children.

No school on Tuesday, November 11th?   🇺🇸 Here are five ways to celebrate Veterans Day with your kids (and you can do most of these things any day of the week - especially if you have to work on the holiday.)   - Volunteer at the SF VA Medical Center   - Make cards for veterans. (Post offices will usually take them)   - Plant flags by veterans’ tombstones in the Presidio (or, just visit!)   - Smile at a Veteran & say “thank you for your service!"   - Take the kids outdoors to enjoy our beautiful national parks such as Muir Woods and Yosemite which are free to enter on Veterans Day   Thank you to all our US Military Veterans & Families! 

Due to the federal government shutdown, in November 2025 CalFresh benefits may be delayed. October funding is secure, but November payments remain uncertain. Although two judges approved contingency funds to partially cover November benefits, it’s still unclear how this will be implemented.   Here’s what you need to know:   - CalFresh recipients can find additional food resources in their community through the SF Marin Food Bank Food Locator page: /https://lnkd.in/g8VqwQmn   - The City of San Francisco will provide a one-time prepaid gift card to cover the CalFresh gap in November. Eligible households will get a letter from SF Human Services Agency in early November with details and an activation code. The code lets recipients use a virtual card immediately or request a physical card, which arrives in 3–5 days. No action is needed to receive this support. More information about this CalFresh Emergency Aid can be found here.   - EBT cards will still be able to be used with existing benefits during the government shutdown.   - If your recertification for CalFresh is due for November, you should continue to send in your SAR 7 or renew your CalFresh benefits, although there could be delays.   - CalFresh benefits can be applied for online at www.benefitscal.com, by phone at 1-877-847-3663 or in person at the local county social services office.   - At this time, other federally funded benefits and programs administered by SF Human Services Agency (SFHSA), including Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and child welfare services are not impacted. SFHSA will continue to provide timely updates through their social media channels and webpage.