Rules Committee names five nominees to children, youth and families oversight panel

The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to forward five nominees to the Board for appointment to the DCYF Oversight & Advisory Committee, the body that will oversee how the city spends the Children and Youth Fund.

The committee recommended Mia Tumaj Satya for the transitional-age-youth seat; Maria Waters for an early-childhood seat; Anwar Mojamel for a family/parent seat; Allison Lee Suzuki for a seat focused on early care and education (subject to an eligibility review and a residency waiver); and Rob Gittin for a transitional-age-youth/provider seat. Chair John Avalos said the slate reflects a mix of youth voice, provider expertise and neighborhood representation and moved the nominations to the full board.

The oversight panel will advise how DCYF administers funding for children, youth and transitional-age youth (TAY) and will review program quality, equity and accountability. Supporters who spoke during the hearing emphasized applicants’ direct experience: Mia Tumaj Satya told the committee her priority was “that we have meetings and that people come to those meetings” and asked the board to center youth participation. Rob Gittin described his work with disconnected youth and told supervisors the oversight committee must “strengthen accountability and transparency around how money is spent on our city's youth.”

Deputy City Attorney John Givner told the committee an eligibility rule prevents high‑level employees or board members of organizations where DCYF is the decision maker for funding from serving; he said staff would consult with DCYF and other agencies to verify whether specific applicants receive disqualifying funding. “There’s a prohibition on high level employees of the school district and the city from serving on this committee,” Givner said during the meeting, and he promised a follow-up determination before the full Board votes.

Supervisors discussed representation and neighborhood balance as they settled on nominees. The committee’s recommendations will be considered by the full Board of Supervisors on the Board’s upcoming agenda; if the Board approves them, appointees will serve terms and help oversee implementation of the expanded Children and Youth Fund.

What happens next: the Rules Committee forwarded the five names with a positive recommendation; the full Board will take up confirmations on its calendar. The Deputy City Attorney will deliver an eligibility determination for any nominees who may receive DCYF-related pass-through funding.