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As Compass concludes the third year of our Family Advisory Committee (FAC), we're celebrating the parents who are helping shape a stronger family homelessness response system. This year, six parents spent six months sharing their expertise, providing feedback on Compass programs, and advocating for families experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. For participants like Naeemah Hall and Michelle Watson, the experience has strengthened their confidence, amplified their voices, and created opportunities to lead on behalf of their children and community. Over 200 people applied to participate in this year’s Compass’ 2026 Family Advisory Committee (FAC), Naeemah was one of six moms selected. The mother of an eighteen-year-old boy and six-year-old girl, she first came to Compass while working as a homeless housing navigator in Oakland and sleeping in her car, shelter, and eventually transitional housing. “Now that I am housed through Compass, I’m able to focus on new entrepreneurial paths and endeavors” - Naeemah Hall Committed to financial stability, Naeemah is pursuing a commercial real estate license, serves on a nonprofit board and is growing a horticultural therapy brand. Participating in the FAC has also improved her stability, amplified her voice, and enabled her to advocate in ways her children can be proud of. Michelle Watson, mother of an eleven-year-old girl, has been experiencing chronic homelessness since she was nineteen. She believes that her FAC participation demonstrates strength and resilience to her daughter at a crucial time. This opportunity has empowered her professionally, explaining that “it makes me feel like I can continue to do the daycare business. It makes me feel like I can start that nonprofit for women.” “Now I got to raise a strong, Black, little girl and let her know that you got a mom that is a strong woman that is trying all she can.” - Michelle Watson The impacts of this program extend beyond its six-month duration, creating bonds that last. The FAC discussed both Compass as an organization, homelessness in San Francisco overall, and met directly with policymakers. Both moms are entrepreneurs and leaders who used this opportunity to speak out for the needs of other homeless parents. Everyone deserves the right to be in San Francisco, to overcome systemic barriers to housing and have economic opportunity. “FAC is truly making me be like ‘you have a voice ... you are speaking for so many even when you think you are not.’” - Michelle Watson

From left, Mark Ryle, Heidi Lamar, Ingrid Mezquita, Cheryl Horney, Dr. Yohana Quiroz, Al Gilbert, and Erica Kisch. Photo Courtesy of Felton Institute. 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: Read the Executive Summary Read the Full Report   KQED story on the report launch   Mayor’s Instagram Reel about the 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.  Learn more and get tickets here.

Earlier this month, Compass Family Services gathered with community members at Manny’s to discuss a question:  What becomes possible when public systems and private partners work together to address family homelessness?   Speakers Erica Kisch, CEO of Compass, and Shireen McSpadden, Executive Director of San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), discussed the scale of family homelessness in San Francisco and how innovative solutions to the crisis emerge when government, philanthropy, and providers align.  The Scale of Family Homelessness in SF   Erica opened the evening’s discussion by reflecting on how dramatically the landscape has changed over the past three decades. Back in the mid-1990s, the family shelter wait list fit on a whiteboard. Families could move from shelter to housing within a few weeks.  Today, Erica said, “The need is tremendous. It now takes four or five minimum wage jobs to afford a two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco.” The family shelter waitlist recently reached around 400 families, meaning more than a thousand parents, children, babies, and pregnant people were waiting for a safe place to stay.  At Compass alone, more than 500 families are housed each night across shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. The organization served more than 11,000 parents and children last fiscal year and is on track to exceed 12,000 this year. Most of these families are surviving in conditions other San Francisco residents never see: sleeping in cars, garages, overcrowded rooms, and temporary arrangements that strain both parents and children.  Director McSpadden grounded the conversation in system-wide data. In fiscal year 2024-2025 alone, more than 6,700 families with children were served by San Francisco’s homelessness response system. Families accounted for about 13% of households experiencing homelessness that year, and the number of families seeking services continues to rise.  Family homelessness is an issue of poverty,” Shireen said, “and San Francisco’s a very expensive place to live.”  The Innovation Gap   Both speakers named the same tension: families need flexible, timely support, but traditional funding streams are often constrained. Erica noted that HSH is Compass’ largest and most essential partner. Public funding provides the foundation for shelter, housing programs, eviction prevention, and mental health services. But she also noted that government funding is not always as flexible as needed.  When families are facing immediate barriers — medical debt, income loss, eligibility cutoffs, or other unexpected setbacks — those constraints can mean the difference between stability and crisis.  That gap is where innovation becomes critical.  The Importance of Public-Private Partnerships   McSpadden emphasized that innovation often requires philanthropic partnership:  “For things that are really innovative and new, it’s really helpful to have philanthropic partners or donors who can come in and say, ‘let’s try something out and see if this works.’”  Government provides scale and structure. Philanthropy provides agility. Providers bring direct knowledge of what families are experiencing in real time. Erica put it simply:  “We couldn’t do the work we do without our government partners, and there’s so much more we can do when we layer on these more creative, innovative and flexible approaches, doing things that government can’t do.”  This is not about replacing public systems. It’s about strengthening them: testing new approaches, evaluating results, and scaling what works.  Compass’ Innovative Solutions   Erica outlined four initiatives that reflect this partnership model in action.  Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) targets a vulnerable transition point for families when they exit time-limited rental subsidies. Through a randomized control trial, participating families receive $1,000 per month for one year. The initiative is funded by Google, evaluated by NYU and the Turner Center, and implemented by Compass and Hamilton Families. While long-term data is still forthcoming, early indicators are promising.  The Family Stability Fund fills gaps traditional systems cannot. Supported by a single donor, the Fund has distributed more than $2 million to remove barriers to stability by covering unique, one-time needs like tuition, medical bills, workforce training, and other critical expenses. Eighty-five percent of participating families report increased stability. As Erica described it, the Fund allows Compass to respond quickly and holistically when families face destabilizing challenges.  Compass Housing Location Services (CHLS) provides housing support to those who aren’t being served by the homelessness response system. It was created to support families who would otherwise be falling through the cracks including those not eligible for services through Coordinated Entry or not well served by Coordinated Entry, but experiencing or on the brink of homelessness. Through hands-on housing search support, Compass Housing Locators work directly with families to identify units, engage landlords, and move families into housing. Compass also provides financial counseling for these families, and is in the process of adding shallow subsidies to aid families on the path to stability.  The Family Homelessness Prevention Pilot , launched with support from Tipping Point Community and in partnership with four sister organizations, adapts the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) model to reach families early and with more flexibility. Over the past year, Compass served 27% more families through this approach, with 242 families supported across partner agencies.     Across all four initiatives, the philosophy remains consistent. “We are committed to Housing Fist, but not housing only,” Erica said. “A family needs more than a lease and a key.”  Looking Ahead   The conversation at Manny’s underscored both the scale of the challenge and the promise of partnership.   Public funding provides the backbone of the homelessness response system. Philanthropic investment provides the flexibility to test, refine, and strengthen that system. Providers bring direct insight into what families actually need to stabilize.  When those pieces work together, innovation becomes possible, and families move more quickly from crisis to lasting stability.

Volunteer | Join Compass Family Services’ efforts to end family homelessness by volunteering. Volunteer I WANT TO VOLUNTEER Join Compass Family Services’ efforts to end family homelessness by volunteering. GET INVOLVED As an Individual As a Group “The week we spent with Compass Family Services was truly transformational. We feel honored to have worked with such a wonderful organization and were blown away by their dedicated families and amazing team. We have all learned and grown so much as individuals and have new perspectives we are bringing back with us.” - Diego, Northeastern University Student If you have other ideas about how to get involved, or just want to help wherever we have the greatest need, get in touch with us at volunteer@compass-sf.org.

Ways to Give | All families need a safe place to call home and all children deserve a stable environment in which to thrive. Our programs work, Compass helped more than 400 families end their housing crisis last year. But we couldn't do it without your help. You can help provide stability and more with your gift today! WAYS TO GIVE Help us create a safe and stable future for San Francisco’s most vulnerable families. Button Donate Button Donate Crypto Button Shop our Wishlist Button Give Items Button Donate a Car Button Donate Stock DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT FOR FREE Check to see if your company will match your gift to Compass Family Services. Check for a Match DONATE TODAY All families need a safe place to call home and all children deserve a stable environment in which to thrive. Our programs work. Compass helped more than 400 families end their housing crisis last year alone. But we simply couldn't do it without your help. You can help provide stability and more with your gift today!

Shop our Wishlist | Don’t have items to donate, or not sure what to give? You can give back to Compass by purchasing directly from pre-made Amazon wishlists full of items that families need the most. When you purchase from these lists, items will be sent directly to Compass. Or, if you don’t want to purchase from Amazon, use the wishlists as a guide to the kind of needs our families would be grateful to receive and shop wherever works best for you! GIVE Shop our Wishlist FULFILL A WISH Like all families with growing kids, Compass families need household items, clothing and footwear, books and toys, and many other things. Use the wishlists below to purchase items directly or to guide you as you shop at your location of choice. Note that when you purchase from these lists, items will automatically be sent directly to Compass. Shop our seasonal wishlist: BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVE Shop our other wishlists: BASIC NEEDS WISHLIST BASIC APARTMENT NECESSITIES | MOVE-IN KITS