SEC. 16.127-1. OUR CHILDREN, OUR FAMILIES INITIATIVE AND COUNCIL; PREAMBLE.
§ 16.127-1
This preamble establishes the Our Children, Our Families Initiative and Council, a collaborative effort led by the Mayor and SFUSD Superintendent to coordinate city services and policies for children and families. It describes San Francisco's historical commitment to children, notes the declining child population and families leaving the city, and outlines principles of equity, community voice, and transparency that will guide the initiative's work to align services and improve outcomes.
San Francisco wants to make sure children and families thrive in the city. The city has passed funding measures before (in 1991, 2000, and 2004), but there are still unmet needs. The problem is that fewer children and families are living in San Francisco now—in 2010, only 13.4 percent of the population was under 18, the lowest of any major U.S. city. Families are moving away, especially those with lower to moderate incomes. This costs the city money because fewer people means less spending locally. To fix this, the city is creating the Our Children, Our Families Initiative, which will bring together city departments and school district leaders with community members to develop a plan that puts children and families first. The plan will focus on fairness (helping kids with the greatest needs), listening to parents and youth, and being honest and accountable about results.
- Complex:The section is lengthy with many subsections (a through l) that mix preamble/background (a–j) with operative definition and governance structure (l), making the core obligation somewhat diffuse.
- Controversial:The statement that declining child population 'cost[s] the community financially' and the goal to 'encourage other families to live here' implicate affordable housing, displacement, and demographic change—topics San Franciscans actively debate.
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Official text
(a) San Francisco has historically shown great concern and compassion for its most vulnerable residents – its children. The City and the community have demonstrated this commitment through the adoption of progressive, innovative and creative ideals supporting the well-being of San Francisco's children and families.
(b) To continue its legacy as a champion of children, it is imperative for San Francisco to further invest in the City's children and families.
(c) The people of the City and County of San Francisco previously supported the passage of the unprecedented Children's Amendment in 1991 and 2000 and the Public Education Enrichment Fund in 2004. While these initiatives dedicated funding to services, the level of unmet needs in providing critical programming and services still falls short.
(d) In order to advance a Citywide vision and long-term set of goals, City leaders, departments, the San Francisco Unified School District ("SFUSD"), and community partners must come together to align needs with services, coordinate across agencies, and develop a strategy.
(e) The Our Children, Our Families Council, comprised of department heads from the City and SFUSD, and community stakeholders, will build a platform that will place children and families at the center of every policy decision.
(f) With the renewal of the Children and Youth Fund and the Public Education Enrichment Fund in November 2014, the City must seize this opportunity to develop a long-term Citywide vision, create a set of strategies, coordinate services, and identify shared goals to not only ensure that all children and families already here are able to thrive, but to encourage other families to live here.
(g) The percentage of children under the age of 18 in San Francisco has steadily declined. As of 2010, 13.4 percent of the City's total population was under the age of 18, the lowest percentage of any major city nationwide.
(h) Families continue to leave San Francisco, especially those families in the low to moderate income brackets.
(i) San Francisco's children population is declining, with over 10 percent of 1 to 4 year olds moving out of the City annually and fewer children moving in.
(j) The declining numbers of children and families in the City cost the community financially as less money is spent on the local economy.
(k) This measure will put in place a collaborative approach around the following points of unity:
(1) Ensuring equity, and giving priority to children and youth with the highest needs;
(2) Empowering parents, youth, and community stakeholders by giving them a voice in the implementation of this Citywide vision; and,
(3) Building public trust through transparency and accountability meeting the needs of children and families.
(l) To further support a coordinated approach to outcomes-based services for children, youth, Disconnected Transitional-Aged Youth, and families, the Our Children, Our Families Initiative (“Initiative”) shall be a joint initiative staffed by employees and officers of the City and SFUSD with the mission to build a public policy platform that will place children and families at the center of every policy decision. The Initiative will support aligning and coordinating the development of comprehensive and connected systems, services, policies, and planning strategies to strengthen the City’s services for children, youth, Disconnected Transitional-Aged Youth, and families, with the goals of increasing equitable access and enhancing effectiveness. The Mayor shall lead the Initiative, and shall invite the Superintendent of SFUSD to co-lead the Initiative with support from SFUSD staff in the Superintendent’s discretion. The Mayor shall ensure that City departments are convened, coordinated, and engaged as part of the development of the Children and Families Plan, engaging in a Citywide Community Needs Assessment for children, youth, and families, and the Outcomes Framework described in Section 16.127-9, as well as in advancing the goals established in the Plan and Outcomes Framework.
(Added November 2014; amended by Proposition J, Approved 11/5/2024)