San Francisco Department of Children, Youth & Their Families

Earlier today, the San Francisco Youth Commission celebrated 30 years of youth leadership at City Hall!

After San Francisco voters approved Proposition F in 1995, the Youth Commission was established to ensure that young people have a voice in local government. For three decades, Youth Commissioners have helped shape policies, programs, and budgets that affect children and youth across San Francisco.

The celebration featured remarks from Mayor Daniel Lurie, State Senator Scott Wiener, Myrna Melgar 梅義加 District 7 Supervisor, former SF Youth Commissioner and current Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James, former San Francisco Supervisor Angela Alioto, former DCYF Director Margaret Brodkin, Youth Commission Chair Gabby Listana, Youth Commissioner Ayan Azad, and Youth Commission staff. Mayor Lurie, State Senator Wiener, and Supervisor Melgar presented certificates and proclamations recognizing the Youth Commission's 30 years of service to San Francisco.

Congratulations to the current and former Commissioners, staff, and supporters who have helped build the Youth Commission over the past 30 years. Here's to many more decades of youth voice, youth leadership, and youth power in San Francisco!

City and County of San Francisco - Government

San Francisco is making history.

As part of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s Family Opportunity Agenda, DCYF has launched the Inclusion Jumpstart Series, a first-of-its-kind investment to help ensure City-funded youth programs are welcoming and accessible for children and youth with disabilities.

At today’s launch event, Mayor Lurie, District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong, DCYF Executive Director Sherrice Dorsey-Smith, The Village Well Founder Ed Center, Community Youth Center of San Francisco’s Vicky Chung-Louie, Support For Families Of Children With Disabilities Executive Director Wendy Neikirk Rhodes, and San Francisco Unified School District parent and advocate April Fong spoke about why inclusion matters and why this work cannot wait.

By the end of DCYF’s current funding cycle, all 149 DCYF-funded agencies across 268 programs will complete the training series.

From DCYF's Executive Director Sherrice Dorsey-Smith: "Building inclusive programs takes intention, training, and strong systems of support. Through partnerships with experienced providers, the Inclusion Jumpstart Series gives our partners the tools they need to create accessible, high-quality inclusive programs and better meet the needs of youth with disabilities. Every child deserves programs where they feel welcomed, supported, and able to fully participate."

City and County of San Francisco - Government

Looking for a job with purpose? We’ve brought together current job openings with DCYF's grantee agencies, all in one place.

See what’s open right now: https://www.sf.gov/dcyf-grantee-jobs

On April 27, 2026, DCYF released the Student Success Fund Evaluation Request for Proposals (RFP).

The RFP provides up to $600k per year to qualified organizations to evaluate the Student Success Fund, including the administration of grants, provision of technical assistance, and the systems-level partnership between the San Francisco Unified School District and DCYF.

Learn more about the RFP here: https://www.sf.gov/dcyf-student-success-fund-evaluation-rfp

Yesterday, DCYF was proud to co-sponsor the SFBI Principal Breakfast, hosted by the San Francisco Beacon Initiative. The event brought together San Francisco Unified School District principals, Beacon Directors, leaders from community-based organizations, Community Schools Coordinators, and partners from across the city.

The San Francisco Beacon Initiative supports strong community schools by bringing school and community partners together to share leadership and learn from one another. This work helps create school environments where young people feel connected, supported, and able to succeed.

Thank you to everyone who joined and continues to build strong, connected school communities across San Francisco.

Today, San Francisco leaders, community organizations, and young people came together on the City Hall steps for a powerful call to action to end violence in our city.

Mayor Daniel Lurie, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, San Francisco Police Department Chief Derrick Lew, DCYF Executive Director Sherrice Dorsey-Smith, members of the Board of Supervisors, and Rudy Corpuz of United Playaz stood alongside youth and community partners to say clearly: violence is not acceptable, and preventing it takes all of us.

United Playaz is known for its message, “It takes the Hood to save the Hood,” which was front and center today. The event reflected a shared commitment to protecting young people, supporting families, and working together across San Francisco to build and sustain safer neighborhoods for everyone.

We hope all of our San Francisco Unified School District friends had a wonderful spring break! Now it's time to get those summer plans finalized.

If you are, know, or work with youth ages 14-24, the best place to find a summer job or program is the Opportunities for Youth page on the SFGov website: https://www.sf.gov/opportunities-for-youth-ages-14-24

If you are looking for a paid summer job, don't miss out on these two opportunities - their application periods close on Friday, April 10!

- Mayor's Youth Employment and Education Program (MYEEP). MYEEP provides San Francisco youth with paid work opportunities, academic support, and tools they’ll need to succeed in the workplace. MYEEP also gives youth a chance to build relationships with other members of their neighborhood communities. Youth can earn $19.18 per hour and work up to 20 hours each week through this internship.

- Opportunities for All (OFA). OFA helps young people in San Francisco explore careers and get ready for work. The program offers paid internships, mentors, job training, and help finding jobs for youth.

In honor of Women’s History Month, DCYF Executive Director Sherrice Dorsey-Smith is joining District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan 陳詩敏, Mission Language and Vocational School Board President Tracy Gallardo, and Samoan Community Development Center Executive Director Dr. Patsy Tito for Women Leading Change: Power, Policy & Purpose at Commonwealth Club World Affairs, with an introduction by Virginia Cheung.

Their conversation will explore how identity shapes leadership, how women navigate systems not built for them, and the work required to strengthen communities across San Francisco.

DCYF is proud to be a city department led by women since its founding, and to have Sherrice continue that legacy today.

Are you looking for a summer program for your K-8 student? Start here - the Summer Programs for K-8 page on the SFGov website: https://www.sf.gov/summer-programs-k8

Many of the summer programs listed on the page are free, low-cost, or offer financial aid.

All of the programs on the page are very proudly funded by DCYF!

This afternoon, DCYF Executive Director Sherrice Dorsey-Smith received a Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Nominated by District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton 華頌善, the Board recognized Sherrice's nearly 20 years of service and her dedication to supporting San Francisco’s children, youth, and families.

Making the day even more special, the chamber at City Hall was filled with DCYF family, including current and former staff and partners from our grantee community. In addition to Sherrice, Misha Olivas, Co-Founder and Director of Community and Family Engagement at our long-time grantee United Playaz, was also honored by the Board with a Certificate of Honor.

The DCYF staff is incredibly proud of Sherrice and grateful for her leadership. The real honor is ours, working alongside her every day to serve our city’s children, youth, and families.

We wanted to share an excerpt from Sherrice's acceptance speech:

"I oversee a department whose tagline says, 'we want to make San Francisco a great place to grow up.' And the question is, what does that really mean?

For me, it means committing to serving the whole child.

Serving the whole child means understanding that a young person's potential cannot be separated from their circumstances. It means recognizing that academic success alone is not enough. A child cannot learn if they are hungry. They cannot focus if they are navigating trauma. They cannot dream if they do not feel safe, seen, and valued.

If we truly want children and youth to thrive, it takes more than intention - it takes commitment. It takes many people coming together to ensure that young people have the resources, opportunities, and support systems they need to succeed. It requires more than words. It requires more than programs. It requires all of us - showing up, staying committed, and doing the hard, consistent work.

Thriving doesn't happen by chance. It happens when we are deliberate.

If we truly believe that children and youth deserve to thrive, then we must be honest about what that demands of us - and be willing to meet that responsibility every single day."