This June, families, educators, and advocates gathered at City Hall alongside the San Francisco Child Care Planning & Advisory Council (CPAC) and Family Services Alliance (FSA) to speak up for what all children deserve: the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.

As the City budget enters its crucial stages, community members delivered powerful public comments urging the Department of Early Childhood (DEC) to protect critical funding for child care.

Their voices made a difference. Thanks to the collective effort of our ECE community – and the leadership of child care champion Supervisor Myrna Melgar – the City passed amendments to raise the Baby Prop C funding cap from $200 million to $300 million. This victory means more resources for families, better pay for educators, and a stronger, more sustainable child care system for San Francisco.

One public commenter shared: “I have a four-year-old daughter and I don’t have child care…we attend playgroups run by Children’s Council, Family Connections Centers, and other Family Resource Centers (FRCs) to get her ready for kindergarten and also support her cognitive and emotional development. This option for families is essential and should be funded by Baby Prop C.”

This moment reminds us that advocacy is not just for policymakers – it belongs to all of us. Every voice at that hearing was part of something bigger: defending the basic needs of children, reducing burdens on working families, and investing in the foundation of a just and thriving city.

We are proud to stand alongside our community in this work and grateful for every hand raised, story shared, and truth spoken.