From City Hall Press Release
June 4, 2007

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has announced the grantees for the next three year grant cycle of the Children’s Fund.

The announcement was made at the Portola Family Connections Center, which will receive funds for parent/child drop in, the Excelsior Family Resource Center and for a neighborhood convener to organize community events. The mayor was joined by ten other organizations representing the range of services that will be funded, including after'school programs, art, youth employment and violence prevention services.

“San Francisco’s youth and families will be greatly served by these grants,” said Newsom. “From after school programs to college and career preparation, or programs for homeless youth and families or to reduce violence in the city, we have addressed all of the different areas that are near and dear to my heart.”

“The grant decisions are the result of a two year planning and allocation process, which included a Needs Assessment and the Children’s Services Allocation Plan, approved by the Board of Supervisors in January, 2007,” said DCYF Director Margaret Brodkin. “There is probably no other city in America that has this level of resources for this range of opportunities and services for children, youth and families,” continued Brodkin.

Newsom requested “more empowering and safe options” to reduce the level of violence. This significant increase in funding of teen programs responds to that recommendation. Growth in the Children’s Fund was used to meet the overwhelming number of competitive proposals in this area.

For the first time, DCYF will be funding conveners in 20 neighborhoods through trusted community based organizations in those neighborhoods. The goal is to improve the coordination and efficiency of services, improve accountability among service providers to meet resident needs, increase access to services by neighborhood residents, plan community-wide events, and share resources among agencies.

The range and quality of after school programs for children, ages 6 – 12 will be expanded. New grants of $8.4 Million will be awarded to programs that offer services every day, as well as programs that offer enrichment opportunities. Organizations which provide enrichment in theatre, art, video, science, technology, sports, and gardening will augment regular after school programs, as well as attract youth during the summer and weekends. Daily after school programs were funded in every neighborhood in the city.

For the first time, DCYF had a family support funding category in its major RFP. After consultations with First5 and Human Services Agency, a collaborative approach to funding in this area was developed. As a result, the three city agencies will fund family support programs throughout the entire city. A program for day laborers will be funded for the first time, as well as a youth-run teen parent resource center, and family resource centers from Chinatown to the Excelsior to Visitacion Valley.