DCYF keeps core CBO funding intact; launches Summer Together aiming for 20,000 slots

Chair Matt Haney on Wednesday convened the Budget and Appropriations Committee for a hearing on the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families' (DCYF) proposed budgets for fiscal years 2021'22 and 2022'23. Director Maria Hsu told the committee the department prioritized keeping community-based organization (CBO) contract funding whole while reducing some nonpersonnel support and evaluation dollars to meet general-fund targets.

The budget presentation outlined DCYF's total resources and major allocations: a Public Education and Enrichment fund of $90,500,000, a Free City College allocation of $16,400,000 and roughly $166,000,000 in core operating dollars. Hsu said about $111,000,000 of that amount (67%) is drawn from the Children and Youth Fund, with roughly $47,000,000 from the general fund and the remainder from federal and state grants.

The department will avoid cutting direct CBO service contracts, Hsu said, but will reduce nonpersonnel spending on technical-assistance contracts and some evaluation work. "We made the commitment to not cut budgets to our nonprofit agencies," she said, but added that to meet general-fund obligations DCYF trimmed consulting and evaluation budgets.

Hsu emphasized the department's pandemic response and the safety record of its Community Hubs. "Since the start of the initiative in September, none of our hub sites have experienced a COVID 19 outbreak," she said, noting the hubs reached more than 2,000 children across 84 sites and that UCSF is evaluating hub health and safety protocols.

The department also outlined "Summer Together," a mayoral and SFUSD-partnered initiative designed as a recovery-oriented summer program for transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. Hsu described the program as academically integrated and intended to include certified teachers and supports for reading, math and credit recovery. She said DCYF and partners are "on track to provide at a minimum 20,000 children this summer in in-person care," and expected to publish program tracks in early April.

Supervisors generally praised the hubs and Summer Together but asked detailed questions about implementation and staffing. Supervisor Aaron Ronan thanked staff for the hubs' rapid launch and asked how DCYF will staff SF RISE and other ongoing initiatives; Hsu said DCYF currently hovers near 60 FTEs and has not requested new permanent positions in this budget, but she acknowledged staff are stretched thin and that some reassignment or future requests may be needed. Other supervisors sought specifics on supports for transitional-age youth and workforce-education recovery funds.

Committee members also probed food costs at hub sites and federal reimbursement. DCYF's finance lead, Denise Peyton, said the department is working with a cost-recovery team but currently faces about a $1 million gap because some CBO partners have trouble complying with USDA tallying and paperwork requirements that drive reimbursements.

Public comment during the DCYF item focused heavily on City College of San Francisco, which speakers said faces steep cuts. Multiple callers representing students, faculty and the college's unions urged the Board to prioritize emergency assistance to CCSF and to protect programs and faculty. One caller, identifying herself as Gracie, said the college faces "layoff of over 60% of its faculty" and urged "everything you can to stop the devastating CCSF cuts."

After discussion the committee voted to file the hearing. The committee did not adopt new budget language at the session; members asked DCYF and mayoral budget staff for follow-up information on staffing, program design for Summer Together and the department's plans to close the USDA reimbursement gap.

The filing vote records an outcome but not programmatic commitments; supervisors said they will continue discussions in the coming weeks as the mayor's budget moves to the Board.