San Francisco Department of Early Childhood

Attention families and caregivers in San Francisco! The California Department of Public Health is working with other state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate a multistate outbreak of infant botulism linked to ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. Preliminary testing of one sample of the formula by the CDPH laboratory suggests the presence of the bacterium that causes botulism. The company has recalled two lots of its product. Consumers with this product should stop using it immediately. Stay informed by reading the entire update from California Department of Public Health here:

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.

Dear DEC Community, Help City and County of San Francisco - Human Services Agency (SFHSA) inform CalFresh clients to check their mail and activate their Emergency Grocery Give Card! Last week, SFHSA mailed 82,000 San Francisco CalFresh households a letter with information about how to access their emergency grocery card. If your organization works with CalFresh recipients, please remind them to regularly check their mail and look out for a letter from SFHSA. The quickest way for CalFresh recipients to access the grocery card funds is through a virtual card, using the unique activation code included in the letter. If CalFresh recipients did not receive a letter from SFHSA yet or if they need help activating their grocery card, City and County of San Francisco - Human Services Agency (SFHSA), San Francisco Department of Early Childhood, and the entire City and County of San Francisco are here for them. For support, reach out to: • SFHSA's CalFresh team at (855) 355-5757 • Visit a Family Resource Center for families with children; to see locations of our 26 Family Resource Centers, click here: https://lnkd.in/gh8StdV7 Visit the GiveCard FAQ for helpful information on technical support and how to use the card: https://lnkd.in/gXjgsvmF

City and County of San Francisco - Human Services Agency (HSA) is introducing the CalFresh Emergency Grocery Card Program. CalFresh benefits are delayed due to the federal government shutdown. To help buy food and reduce financial stress during this time, the City, through HSA and our partner organizations are providing CalFresh households with a one-time prepaid grocery card. CalFresh households can learn more about the grocery card program here: https://lnkd.in/gnMNh8Xa

Happy Halloween! A spook-tacular transformation took place at Civic Center Plaza this week. Compass Family Services created a pumpkin patch for children in the Tenderloin complete with a trick-or-treat trail, pumpkin decorating, juggling, magic shows and so much more. PerSia, made a special guest appearance for a fabulous Halloween themed Drag Story Hour and the fun didn't stop there! Civic Center never looked more vibrant and DEC's Executive Director, Ingrid Mezquita was there to wish a Happy Halloween to the preschool classes who joined! Thank you to Compass Family Services for hosting a first-ever free pumpkin patch for our city's kids. Big thanks to Mayor Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉, Golden State Valkyries players, and the San Francisco Opera for celebrating this new tradition! This week, San Francisco has shown it's spirit by transforming into a city of wonder and there's so much more fun to have today! If you're trick-or-treating with young children, stay safe while crossing the street and be aware of your surroundings. Explore more safe traveling tips and recommended events from the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency here: https://lnkd.in/gXrnGFhZ.

This month we celebrated Kai Ming Head Start's 50 year legacy of unlocking children's potential in San Francisco.⁠ ⁠ Through their culturally relevant & family-centric curriculum, their early learning sites support dual language learners and provide a springboard for life-long learning. They also provide prenatal and home-based care, health & wellness services, and infant and toddler care, giving parents and children a nurturing environment and foundation for growth.⁠ ⁠ Thank you to Kai Ming Head Start leadership and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for taking time to reflect on five decades of unwavering commitment to young children!⁠ ⁠ Explore our entire network of Early Learning For All sites: https://lnkd.in/gMxmyYxi

We are dedicated to improving early learning environments for young children across San Francisco! Through the Children in Nature collaborative, outdoor play spaces at our Early Learning For All sites are being transformed with added natural materials to grow children's connection with nature. At Felton Institute's MLK Center, their new play space includes tree stumps and logs repurposed by San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department from Golden Gate Park and will inspire imaginative play for years to come. 🪵🪴 Learn more about our Quality Improvement work: https://lnkd.in/gzw9TsVK

San Francisco families, you won't want to miss this Saturday's San Francisco Unified School District Enrollment Fair! The San Francisco Department of Early Childhood will be at the event to share information about our Early Learning For All initiative and our network of high-quality early learning sites. Come out to Balboa High School from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM to find out more about what makes San Francisco an incredible place to go to school. Join us and find out full event information here: https://www.sfusd.edu/fair