Children's Council of San Francisco

🙌 We're happy to add 3 new members to our Associate Board! Welcome Tala Farhatnia, Carlton Lew and Sonya Huang! Meet them here (or learn more about joining our Associate Board): https://lnkd.in/gfrxeHDj

This year marks a significant milestone for Children's Council of San Francisco as we celebrate 50 years of dedicated service to our community. By advocating for quality early care and education, empowering families with information and financial support, and building the capabilities of educators, we ensure that every child in San Francisco has the opportunity to reach their full potential. As the weather turns warmer, many of us feel inspired to nurture growth in our lives. This is the ideal time to plant your roots – ensuring your wishes are honored and preserved for the future. That’s why we’ve partnered with FreeWill to help you through estate planning. In just 20 minutes, this free online tool helps you create your will and protect all you love. Hear from one person why they got started last spring: “They take a process that seems like a lot of work and make it quick and easy. There's not a lot of confusing legal talk. You'll be happy!” We encourage you to use this time of growth and potential to ensure your affairs are in order – for your peace of mind and for all you love. https://lnkd.in/gGguZS3U

Our Health and Nutrition Team has a new set of wheels! Thanks to #SDDT funds, we're able to offer more onsite support to create healthier childcare environments. Look out for us in your neighborhood! #SFSodaTax #SodaTaxGrantee This project was made possible with funding by www.sodatax-sf.org.

Welcome Sarah Behr to the Children’s Council Board of Directors! Sarah has provided non-profits with advice and guidance for over 15 years. Sarah is founder and principal of Simplify Financial Planning. Previously, she worked in wealth management at UBS and Credit Suisse. Her strength in finance allows her to offer sound financial advice and strategic leadership to non-profit organizations. Learn more about Sarah: https://lnkd.in/gyTSBrVH #womenleaders #womeninfinance #nonprofit #boardofdirectors #childcarematters

Last week, the SF ECE Advocacy Coalition, in partnership with Children’s Council, joined Supervisor Connie Chan 陳詩敏 on a visit to ABC Preschool in District 1. We deeply appreciate her taking the time to visit this incredible ECE site and thank her for being a child care champion!

The SF ECE Advocacy Coalition would like to thank Supervisor Myrna Melgar for visiting a very special child care site yesterday in District 7: Happy Face Family Preschool! Supervisor Melgar has been one of our strongest advocates at City Hall and has authored a resolution to get ‘Baby’ Prop C implemented! L-R Alan Wong from Children’s Council, Anna (parent), Supervisor Melgar, Esperanza Estrada from SF Family Child Care Hispanic Network, Elena Ramirez from Happy Face, Liz Winograd from Low Income Investment Fund, Leo (parent) #SFECE #ECEForAllFamilies #ChildCareNow #ChildCareMatters #ProtectBabyPropC #DefendBabyPropC #BabyCisforChildCare #SanFrancisco #SFBudget #ECE #EarlyEducator

SPECIAL THANKS TO: 🫶🏾 50th Anniversary Gala Co-Chairs: Jessica Hilberman Maegan Warehouse Puleo, CFP® Anna Nordberg, Co-Chair Emeritus 🫶🏾 50th Anniversary Gala Host Committee: Sandee Blechman and Steven Goldberg  Gina M. Fromer, PhD Jennifer Holderness and Howard Holderness Jake Levinson Gale Mondry and Bruce Cohen Farris Page Wendy and Bob Singley #forwardat50 #childrenscouncilat50 PHOTOS from the night, available for purchase here: https://lnkd.in/g3FeNjbC Thx Kristen Loken!

On Tuesday, May 21, members of Children's Council's Advocacy team joined the California delegation at the Child Care Aware of America Symposium to visit Senator Butler and Senator Padilla's offices in Washington D.C. The Senators recognize the importance of and support critical funding coming from the Federal Government for early care and education. We thank them for being our child care champions in Washington!

What a fantastic and special night our 50th anniversary gala was! Thank you to our sponsors (listed below) & our 400 beautiful guests who helped us raise nearly half a million dollars for child care and early childhood education. Children’s Council looks forward to working with the entire community for 50+ more years of creating a brighter future for our children and families! #forwardat50 #childrenscouncilat50 PHOTOS from the night, available for purchase here: https://lnkd.in/g3FeNjbC 🙌🏾 Thank you 50th Anniversary Gala Sponsors: Lead Sponsor Pacific Office Automation Heroes MCT Cards & Technology Private Limited Mechanics Bank Anna Nordberg & Brant Thompson Elizabeth & Andrew Spokes Leaders River City Bank Investors Rehana Abbas & Timothy Ogburn Sean & Sarah Behr, Simplify Financial Janice (Jan) Berthold, CPCU & Thomas Berthold Golden State Warriors Ground Matrix Harrington Group, Inc. Jessica Hilberman & Katrina Reid Kaiser Permanente Molly Lacob & Kirk Lacob San Francisco Health Plan Dr. Kanade Shinkai- UCSF Dermatology Maegan Warehouse Puleo, CFP® & Kevin Puleo Wells Fargo Advocates Blue Shield of California Foundation Janice Brody Gina Fromer, Ph.D. Gallagher Mindshare Group Ripple Lisa S. Pritzker Roselyne Swig Early Education Champions Marga Dusedau & David Sklar Flynn, Shojinaga & Associates Jennifer & Howard Holderness Dr. Lawrence Ng Wendy & Bob Singley Child Care Champions California Structural Builders Corina Dumitrescu, Architect | VMWP Eric Fischer & Family Susan & Doug Hendrickson Elaine Lai Amie & David Latterman Danielle Lazier, Vivre Real Estate In-Kind Donors Another Planet Entertainment Club Fugazi Fathers Daughters Cellars Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco Frisco American Immature Brandy The Hilberman Family Molly & Kirk Lacob The Redwoods in Yosemite Renel Brooks-Moon Roka Akor San Francisco Slanted Door San Francisco Giants

Meet Our Team! Staff Feature: Maria Matus, Family Services Supervisor Years at Children’s Council: 16 years in August ! How I contribute to the success of Children’s Council:  I oversee and assist our Family Services Specialists who provide support to families with their needs and eligibility requirements. My role involves coaching staff on effective client support methods, addressing inquiries regarding needs and eligibility, ensuring compliance, and conducting support sessions for new team members. Background:  Health Education & Prevention Proudest moment:  It was incredibly heartening to receive a call from one of my clients (when I was fresh faced at Children’s Council) expressing their gratitude and acknowledging the pivotal role our support played in their educational journey. They shared that without the child care assistance we provided, they might not have successfully completed their GED. They contemplated pursuing higher education, something they had previously doubted. What inspires you each day:  The opportunity to empower and support my staff. Seeing them have the confidence in their abilities to carry out their tasks is truly inspiring. Also, being able to share the strategies and experiences that have contributed to my own success, and knowing that I can assist and guide them, is incredibly rewarding. I'm fully committed to rolling up my sleeves and getting involved when needed, because I believe in leading by example and ensuring the success of the team. Favorite thing about working at Children’s Council:  Beyond assisting and supporting our families and providers, what I cherish most is our staff. They are the heart and soul of our organization. Greatest challenge: The struggle with time! There always seems to be limited hours of the day. What you would with a large donation:  The allocation would depend on the magnitude, but roughly speaking, I would use half of the donation to provide more subsidized child care for families. The other half would be dedicated to establishing a scholarship or grant program. This program would aim to support parents who want to advance their education or facilitate educational opportunities for their children. Particularly, this initiative would target children who have previously received services but are no longer eligible, ensuring a lasting impact on their educational journey.