Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Early Childcare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Supervisors advance five‑year 'Babies and Families First' spending plan for early care
Summary
The Budget & Appropriations Committee voted Nov. 18 to send a positive recommendation on the Office of Early Care and Education's five‑year spending plan (Babies and Families First Fund), highlighting workforce compensation, subsidies for low‑ and middle‑income families and investments to reduce the child‑care wait list.
The Budget & Appropriations Committee advanced the Office of Early Care and Education’s five‑year spending plan for the Babies and Families First Fund on Nov. 18, sending the measure to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
President Norman Yee introduced the item and described the plan as a multiyear framework to spend funds collected for early education. Denise Carvino, deputy director of OECE, told the committee the plan reflects extensive stakeholder outreach in 2018–19 and community priorities including higher compensation for the early‑education workforce, expanded subsidies for low‑ and middle‑income families and longer‑term supports for child well‑being.
"Our priorities as outlined in Prop C — workforce compensation, support for low‑ and middle‑income families and services for young children — are in the order the community discussed," Carvino said in the presentation.
Public commenters welcomed the plan while urging transparency and clarity about how the money will reduce San Francisco’s childcare wait list (estimated in testimony at nearly 3,000 children). June Bug, a parent leader with San Francisco Parent Voices, urged a transparent, equitable implementation and asked for specifics about voucher increases, slot expansions and pandemic‑era supports.
President Yee said the plan includes an early‑care economic recovery grant and loan program to stabilize providers and preserve capacity, and asked colleagues to co‑sponsor the measure. Supervisors expressed support and several asked to be added as co‑sponsors. The committee then took a roll‑call vote; President Yee moved to forward the plan with a positive recommendation, the motion was seconded and the committee recorded ayes from Supervisor Wilson, Supervisor Mandelmann, President Yee and Chair Sandra Lee Feuer; Supervisor Ronan was recorded absent. The motion carried.
Carvino said OECE will continue outreach and develop implementation steps with First 5 partners and other stakeholders and that some state allocations (including recent Homekey acquisitions) provide additional operating support not fully assumed in earlier plans.
Next steps: the spending plan will proceed to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive committee recommendation; staff said they will return with implementation details and solicit continued community input.
