Join or support a Community Needs Assessment focus group
DCYF is looking for San Francisco parents, caregivers, transitional-age young adults (TAYA), and community organizations to take part in CNA focus groups. Parents, caregivers, and TAYA can sign up to join a focus group. Community organizations can help recruit participants, host a focus group, or both.Complete the CNA Focus Group Interest FormExplore the 2027 Community Needs Assessment
What is the DCYF Community Needs Assessment?
The DCYF Community Needs Assessment (CNA) helps us understand what children, youth, TAYA, and families need and how they find, choose, and access DCYF-funded programs and services. It is part of DCYF’s Planning Cycle and one of two community needs assessments taking place in San Francisco in 2026.
You can participate in the CNA through Focus Groups, Youth Sessions, and DCYF Grantee Sessions.
Focus Groups
Parents, caregivers, and TAYA can join a small group to talk about how they find, choose, and access DCYF-funded programs and services. We want to hear from people with a range of experiences, including those who have and have not used DCYF-funded services.
Youth Sessions
Middle and high school youth can take part in conversations led by other young people. Members of the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) cohort will lead sessions with their peers across the city. What youth share will inform the CNA and help guide City planning and decision-making.
Grantee sessions
DCYF-funded partners can share what they are hearing from their communities and help identify ways to improve programs and services for children, youth, TAYA, and families.
DCYF Grantee Sessions are planned for fall 2026. Check back for details.
Explore the 2027 CNA plan
Learn how DCYF will conduct the 2027 Community Needs Assessment.
What we're hearing
We’ll share updates and emerging themes from community engagement throughout the CNA. Check back to see what we’re learning.
About DCYF's Community Needs Assessment
The Community Needs Assessment (CNA) is part of DCYF’s Planning Cycle. It helps us understand what children, youth, TAYA, and families need and how they find, choose, and access DCYF-funded programs and services.
To complete the CNA, DCYF combines input from Focus Groups, Youth Sessions, and DCYF Grantee Sessions with program data and other research. This helps us understand what is working, what people need, barriers to participation, and ways to improve DCYF-funded programs and services.
The CNA is one of two community needs assessments taking place in San Francisco. The Citywide Community Needs Assessment (CCNA), led by the Our Children, Our Families Initiative (OCOFI), looks more broadly at the needs of children, youth, TAYA, and families across the city. DCYF will use findings from the CCNA to provide broader context for the CNA and better understand how people’s lives and communities affect the ways they use DCYF-funded services.
What we learn will guide the Services Allocation Plan (SAP), which identifies the programs and services DCYF will fund through our 5-year Request for Proposals (RFP).
CNA timeline
July–August 2026
Review data and research and identify key questions.
August–December 2026
Gather input for the CNA through Focus Groups, Youth Sessions, and DCYF Grantee Sessions. Review findings from the Citywide Community Needs Assessment, including Family Summits and the Citywide Family Survey.
January–March 2027
Review the findings and prepare a draft of the 2027 Community Needs Assessment.
March 2027
Present the draft 2027 CNA to the DCYF Oversight & Advisory Committee.
March–April 2027
Revise and finalize the CNA .
May 2027
The DCYF Oversight & Advisory Committee approves the CNA.
June 2027
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approves the CNA.