Family, Friends and Neighbors Child Care Provider Pilot Training Program
33 percent of all children in San Francisco are cared for by Family, Friends and Neighbor child care providers.* These important caregivers provide many benefits to families with young children:
- Already known and trusted
- Home-based caregivers who are often preferred for infants and toddlers
- Reflective of language and culture of the family
- Flexible child care including nights and weekends
- Often more affordable than even subsidized child care
License-exempt Family, Friends and Neighbors (FF&N) child care providers want to provide high-quality care but often lack formal training in child development, the latest early education findings, and safety protocols. Supportive services and training for FF&N child care providers don’t exist in a structured way.
Solution:
Develop and offer accessible, no-cost educational pathways and certifications for Family, Friends and Neighbor child care providers, meeting them where they are.
Goal:
Raise the quality of child care that Family, Friends and Neighbors provide to better prepare the children in their care (predominantly black & brown children) to enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
FF&N Child Care Providers in San Francisco
Pilot program:
Offer four pathways that can be accessed from any starting point to 80 Family, Friends and Neighbor providers, predominantly immigrant women of color serving children of color.
Bridging & Building Upon Our Current Clientele and Offerings
Currently manage state subsidies to 2,000 children/1,500 Family, Friend and Neighbor providers.
Engage with them at least monthly.
Family, Friend and Neighbor providers regularly attend existing weekly playgroups and workshops.
* 45 percent of all children with a state-funded voucher are cared for by an FF&N provider.
** License-Exempt Providers are family, friend and neighbor caregivers paid through the state/local subsidy system.