San Francisco adds 750 free, low-cost childcare spots for working families
San Francisco is expanding availability of free and low-cost childcare for the city's working families, by adding hundreds of spots for infants and toddlers.
Mayor Daniel Lurie's office announced Thursday that nearly 750 early learning spots will become available this summer. Childcare will be available in neighborhoods across the city, including the Sunset, Parkside, Richmond, Bayview, Portola, Mission Bay, Excelsior, Glen Park and the South of Market.
The expansion constitutes an expansion in the city's early childhood system for infants and toddlers by more than 8%. Officials said the new spots will be created through a mix of family childcare homes and early learning centers.
"When families have access to quality, affordable childcare, they can stay and build a life in San Francisco. For children, it supports their academic and emotional growth long before kindergarten. And for our entire city, it strengthens our future—helping families stay and keeping our communities strong," Lurie said in a statement.
In January, the mayor announced a plan using unspent dollars from a 2018 voter approved measure known as "Baby C" to make childcare free for those earning 150% of area median income, which is $230,000 for a family of four. Families earning under 200% of area median income ($310,000 for a family of four), would receive a 50% subsidy.
The expansion is part of Lurie's goal to make San Francisco the first city in the U.S. city to ensure all families with children under five have access to childcare.