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SF Parent Political Action Committee Applauds Supervisor Farrell For Calling A Hearing to Discuss Afterschool For All

October 23, 2013
 
The San Francisco Parent Political Action Committee (Parent PAC) is pleased to announce that we have been working in collaboration with Supervisors Mark Farrell and Jane Kim to help make afterschool programming for all families, at each school site, a reality. Additionally, the Parent PAC would like to recognize and thank Board of Education Commissioner Jill Wynns for her leadership in the school district on this issue. We also want to acknowledge Maria Su and Sandra Naughton at the Department of Children, Youth, and their Families (DCYF) for their tireless work and leadership in this area. Although the goal of “Afterschool for All” has not yet been achieved, the Parent PAC views the hearing below, called for by Supervisor Farrell, as an important step forward.
 
We can’t do this important work without your support; you can help us continue to communicate with families and elected officials about important issues like high quality afterschool programming. Please consider donating by credit card or by check.

 

– The Parent PAC Steering Committee

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For Immediate Release            

October 22, 2013                                                              

Contact:  Office of Supervisor Mark Farrell  415.554.7752

                Catherine Stefani  415.554.7720

                Margaux Kelly  415-554-7733

                Jess Montejano  415-554-7756

 

SUPERVISOR FARRELL CALLS FOR HEARING ON SAN FRANCISCO’S AFTERSCHOOL FOR ALL INITIATIVE

SAN FRANCISCO – At today’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Farrell called for a hearing to evaluate the status of San Francisco’s Afterschool for All Initiative.  Progress has been made since Mayor Newsom and then Superintendent of Schools Gwen Chan made a pledge in 2005 to support the creation of a citywide afterschool system.   However, eight years later, we are still faced with a situation where an estimated 27% or 10,400 elementary and middle school youth who want access to afterschool programs do not currently have access to them.   

“If we are serious about keeping families in San Francisco, we need to take action that will actually make a difference,” stated Supervisor Farrell.  “We need to provide our working families with practical options for childcare, including afterschool programs at every school site across San Francisco.”

 

Currently, there is not enough “capacity” at schools to offer afterschool programming to all the children who need it at that school.  This forces parents to either leave work to take their child to another afterschool location and/or rely on MUNI or other forms of public transportation to take their children to yet another location.  Data indicates that most SFUSD parents prefer school-based afterschool programs over programs located off campus.  

While SFUSD currently sponsors 69 afterschool programs across elementary and middle school campuses, not all children in need at those schools are served by those programs.  In addition, at 10 SFUSD schools serving K-8, the district does not sponsor any afterschool programs.   Our Department of Children, Youth and Their Families has been working diligently on this issue by creating and facilitating the Afterschool for All Advisory Committee – now renamed the Expanded Learning Collaborative.  The San Francisco Unified School District is also working on increasing access and Commissioner Jill Wynns plans to introduce a resolution soon at the Board of Education to address this issue. 

“Afterschool programs help support working families by providing safe, healthy and educational environments for children while their parents work,” said Supervisor Farrell.  “They should be an essential part of our educational system.”

The hearing will give an opportunity to those departments who have been working on this issue to share the progress they have made, and will also examine how we can make changes to guarantee that if a parent needs their child to receive afterschool programming at the same school where the child attends, they are guaranteed a spot.

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