Board proclaims Week of the Young Child as supervisors press for faster use of Baby Prop C funds

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on April 5 adopted a resolution declaring April 2–9, 2022, and the first week of every April thereafter, the Week of the Young Child (item 40). Supervisors and dozens of callers during general public comment used the moment to press for faster implementation of locally approved childcare funding and higher wages for early childhood educators.

Why it matters: Supervisors and community groups framed early care as an essential service and said delays in distributing city childcare dollars leave thousands of children on waiting lists and force parents — especially low‑income parents — to forgo work or education.

What supervisors and callers said Supervisor Gordon Melgar, sponsor of the resolution, said the pandemic highlighted the essential role of the early care workforce — largely women, many of them women of color and immigrants — and urged wage parity with kindergarten-through-third‑grade teachers. Melgar, Supervisor Ahsha Safaie and Supervisor Aaron Preston asked the Board to use the Baby Proposition C funding to remove barriers for family and small providers and to prioritize recruitment and retention.

Several callers and representatives of childcare organizations urged rapid action. Beverly Malugen, executive director of C5 Children’s School, and Naima Charles of the Children’s Council of San Francisco told the board they support the resolution and highlighted the need to raise wages and retain staff. Parent Voices leaders Maria Lustore and April Young said families remain on a long waiting list; callers repeatedly cited “more than 3,000” children waiting for subsidized care.

Supervisor Melgar and others asked the city to examine whether eligibility and administrative rules (for example, ELS certification) create barriers that prevent providers from accepting subsidies, and they urged stronger outreach to family, friend and neighbor providers.

Board action The resolution to proclaim the Week of the Young Child was adopted without objection and unanimously.

What remains to do Supervisors asked that the Office of Early Care and Education and other departments accelerate implementation of Baby Prop C commitments, remove unnecessary administrative barriers for providers when feasible, and develop plans to raise educator compensation. Several supervisors requested hearings and additional committee attention to follow up on program rollout and supply constraints.

Ending note Supervisors and advocates tied the Week of the Young Child celebration to an urgent policy agenda: getting Baby Prop C money flowing to providers, expanding supply, and improving compensation to stabilize the workforce that serves the city’s youngest children.