San Francisco Leaders Gather to Strengthen Early Childhood Support Systems
- Claudia Taylor
- 55 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Last week, more than 135 educators, providers, policymakers, community members, and families gathered at the Asian Art Museum to address the question:
What does it take to build an early childhood system that actually works for families?
Compass Family Services, Felton Institute, and Wu Yee Children’s Services came together to launch a new report examining how San Francisco supports children ages 0–5 with developmental needs, and where that support is falling short, especially for children from low-income families.
Speakers included Mayor Daniel Lurie, Department of Early Childhood Director Ingrid Mezquita, and leaders from the three author organizations. Together, they shared insights into paths to building an inclusive system where every child, especially children with disabilities, can fully participate and thrive.
The report, developed collaboratively by Compass, Felton, and Wu Yee, draws on insights from more than 400 educators and providers across the city. It tells a consistent story: families are still navigating a system that is difficult to access, difficult to understand, and too often, difficult to trust.
Even more importantly, children who need and are entitled to services, aren’t getting them. Children who most need early support, particularly those from multilingual, immigrant, and low-income communities, are the most likely to encounter barriers.
Those barriers are not abstract. They show up in very real ways:
Delays caused by disconnected systems
Providers stretched thin without adequate training or resources
Families facing logistical hurdles just to access services
A lack of clear, transparent data to guide decisions
Taken together, these challenges create a system where support exists but doesn’t always reach the children and families it’s designed for.
Attendees heard from a family with lived experience of the gaps in the system. Karla Ramos, a parent served by Felton Institute, shared her story navigating early intervention services for her child. What should have been a supported transition from one system to another upon her child’s third birthday became a source of tremendous stress, uncertainty, and isolation that derailed services for her child and stability for her family.
Her experience underscored something speakers had been naming all morning: when systems are fragmented, families carry the burden of stitching them together. And for families already balancing work, caregiving, and the realities of raising a child with additional needs, that burden can be overwhelming.
Report authors Dr. Yohana Quiroz, Cheryl Horney, and Heidi Lamar shared a vision:
A system that is coordinated, accessible, and equitable.
A system where families don’t have to navigate multiple disconnected pathways to get support.
A system where early care providers are equipped and supported to meet the needs of every child.
The report outlines clear steps to move in that direction—from better care coordination and more sustainable funding models to stronger data systems that ensure accountability and visibility. None of these solutions are out of reach, but they require alignment.
If there was one takeaway from the morning, it was this: the foundation is already here. City leaders, educators, nonprofit providers, funders, and families are all engaged in this work. The challenge, and the opportunity, is bringing those pieces into closer coordination.
When systems align, families don’t have to fight for access. Support arrives earlier. Transitions are smoother. And children have a stronger foundation to learn, grow, and thrive.
At Compass Family Services, we are proud to be part of this effort and committed to continuing the work alongside our partners to build an early childhood system that truly works for every family in San Francisco.
Learn more about the report, and the launch event:
Join the authors at Manny’s on April 7th:
Join us for a mediated conversation highlighting systemic gaps in funding, care coordination, training and data transparency that disproportionately impact young children with disabilities, particularly those from multilingual, immigrant, and low-income communities.