Our 2025 Annual Impact Report is now live!
Mayor Lurie just announced a historic expansion of free and low cost childcare!
Putting the pieces together so children can soar.
Meet San Francisco’s Department of Early Childhood.
We partner with all of the adults who care for young children, so that together we can create healthier, happier, and more imaginative childhoods. And that makes the city a better place to live for us all.
Parents, we're here for you.
Parenting can be hard, which is why we put parents at the center of what we do. DEC is the City department solely dedicated to our youngest children. We work to support San Francisco families by funding family services and early childhood programs. DEC is here to make it easier to raise young children in San Francisco.
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
Growing together in early childhood.
Early childhood educators and partners help children grow, learn, and thrive. They make our city stronger. We work together to give children and families amazing resources in our city.
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News & Updates
LISTEN: Child Care is Getting More Affordable in S.F. with DEC’s Wei-min Wang
In an interview on KQED’s podcast, The Bay, Wei-min Wang from our team, recently shared how Child Care is Getting More Affordable in S.F. Listen here! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452?i=1000613049906 Child care is
En route to a thriving early childhood system in San Francisco
San Francisco has many programs and agencies aiming to serve our city’s babies and young children, but they could be more coordinated. As a result, agencies, providers, and families are
Week of the Young Child in San Francisco
The Week of the Young Child is being celebrated all of April in San Francisco! Family Resource Centers are hosting free events all over the city. During the first week of April and
Announcing Our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan
More than three years ago, when First 5 San Francisco (First 5 SF) and the San Francisco Office of Early Care and Education (OECE) first began planning together and exploring
DEC’s Year in Review
As we begin the new year, we reflect on our collective accomplishments in 2022. In our initial year as a new city department, DEC has established itself as a strong
Ingrid Mezquita on what DEC means to San Francisco’s families and providers
San Francisco’s newest city agency is the Department of Early Childhood(DEC). This Department, which merges the former San Francisco Office of Early Care & Education with First 5 San Francisco,
Engaging Communities: A Blueprint for Happier, Healthier, More Imaginative Childhoods
When we launched DEC, we did so with a strategic plan that clearly lays out our mission, what we’ll do to achieve it, and why. A significant part of our
Popping-Up with the People: Bringing Information, Resources and Joy to the Bayview Pop-Up Village’s Youth Future Zone
The Pop-Up Village is a site activation project that harnesses the power of design to bring together people and programs in vibrant and thoughtfully selected public spaces. Its mission is
National Leadership through Local Action: House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark Look to DEC as a Model for Early Childhood Investment.
Image Description: From left to right: Jerry Yang, Executive Director, Kai Ming Head Start; Monique Guidry, Owner, Guidry Early Child Care and Education Program; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita, United States