San Francisco Launches This is Your City: 2026 Family Listening Series

San Francisco, CA — The City and County of San Francisco and the Our Children Our Families Initiative (OCOFI) invites children, youth, transitional-age young adults (TAY/A), parents, caregivers, grandparents, and families from every neighborhood to share their stories and help shape the future of San Francisco through This Is Your City: 2026 Family Listening Series. The citywide effort includes the Citywide Survey for Families and 14 Family Summits across San Francisco.

“When families have access to housing, quality schools and childcare, affordable food, and reliable transit, they can put down roots and thrive in San Francisco,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “From delivering safer and cleaner streets to bringing down the cost of living and building more housing, we’re working every day to make our city more welcoming for families. As we do that work, we will always continue listening to families in every neighborhood so we can build the accountable government and deliver the results they deserve.”

The Our Children Our Families Initiative (OCOFI), housed within the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF) was established by San Francisco voters in 2024. OCOFI works to improve outcomes for children and families by strengthening coordination, alignment and accountability between City departments and with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

“San Francisco is committed to being a more child and youth-friendly city. Through the Our Children, Our Families Initiative, we are developing a permanent, coordinated approach to planning with and for children, youth, and families,” said Supervisor Myrna Melgar. “This requires meaningful engagement to ensure that the experience raising a family and growing up in San Francisco is seamless, safe, joyful, and fulfilling. We need every City agency to be a partner so that this work outlives who is elected to office and is embedded in the culture of our great City.”

This Family Listening Series will launch of San Francisco's inaugural Citywide Community Needs Assessment (CCNA), a first-of-its-kind coordinated effort to inform collaborative planning across 13 City departments and SFUSD. The CCNA complements the many ways City departments already engage with residents through strategic planning, community engagement, and program-specific needs assessments. By connecting what departments are learning from families, the City will gain a more complete understanding of families' experiences, identify shared priorities across systems, better understanding of how needs intersect and inform more coordinated planning and action for children, youth, young adults and families.

“Children and families don’t experience their needs one at a time, they experience them across every part of their lives,” shared Department of Children, Youth and Their Families Director Sherrice Dorsey Smith. “What happens at home can affect what happens at school, in their health, and in their communities. By understanding those connections, we can build stronger systems that work together to better support children, youth, and families.”

"We know that supporting children and young people takes all of us working together. Our partnership with the City helps us better understand the experience and needs of the families that we all serve," said SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Maria Su. "By listening to families and sharing what we learn, we can build stronger and more coordinated support systems for children, youth, and families across San Francisco. This Family Listening Series is an important opportunity to make sure our family voices are at the center of that work."

At the heart of this new initiative is the City’s commitment to listen, learn, and act together. Through the Family Listening Series, San Francisco residents will share their stories and experiences, helping departments build a shared understanding of what communities need to stay, belong and thrive in their neighborhoods. Departments can use what they learn to strengthen coordination, align resources, and take collective action in service of San Francisco’s children, youth, young adults, and families.

"No single conversation tells the whole story of what families need. By bringing together what we hear across neighborhoods, communities, and City departments, the CCNA reveals the connections and shared opportunities we can only see when we look at the whole picture,” shared OCOFI Director Kimberly Wicoff. “That's how we build stronger plans for children, youth, and families."

Families can participate in the way that works best for them. They can attend one of 14 Family Summits across the City’s 11 supervisorial districts, complete the Citywide Survey for Families, participate in youth-led engagement opportunities, or join focus groups and partner conversations. The insights gathered through these efforts will help inform future City planning, priorities, and coordinated action to better support children, youth, and families.

Every Family Summit includes free food, childcare, and interpretation services to help make participation welcoming and accessible. Everyone is welcome including children, youth, and young adults. Families can attend the Family Summit closest to their neighborhood or choose the date and location most convenient for them. Whether families have lived in San Francisco for generations or recently made the City their home, every perspective contributes to a stronger, more complete picture of life for families across the City.

Youth and young people will also have opportunities to participate in conversations designed and led by youth. Beginning this fall, youth-led sessions will create additional spaces for young people to share what is working, what they need, and what they want to see change. Their voices and ideas will be part of what the City learns and carries forward in future planning and action.

How to Participate:

San Francisco residents can participate in several ways:

(1) Complete the Citywide Survey to share experiences online. This will be available from August 17, 2026 - December 31, 2026.

(2) Attend a This Is Your City: Family Summit to share stories, experiences, and priorities with neighbors, community organizations, and City leaders.

• Saturday, September 12, 11AM – 1:30PM: District 7 Westwood Park Family Summit, Aptos Middle School,105 Aptos Ave, SF, CA 94127
• Thursday, September 17, 5PM – 7:30PM: District 10 Sunnydale Family Summit, The Hub (Sunnydale Ave Community Center), 530 Sunnydale Ave, SF, CA 94134
• Saturday, September 19, 11AM – 1:30PM: District 6 SOMA Family Summit, Gene Friend SOMA Recreation Center, 270 6th St, SF, CA 94103
• Thursday, September 24, 5PM – 7:30PM: District 5 Tenderloin Family Summit, Tenderloin Recreation Center, 570 Ellis St, SF, CA 94109
• Saturday, September 26, 11AM – 1:30PM: District 11 OMI Family Summit, Minnie and Lovie Ward Recreation Center, 650 Capitol Ave, SF, CA 94112
• Saturday, October 3, 11AM – 1:30PM: District 5 Fillmore Family Summit, African American Arts and Culture Complex (AAACC), 762 Fulton St, SF, CA 94102
• Thursday, October 8, 5PM – 7:30PM: District 9 Mission Family Summit, The Women’s Building, 3543 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
• Saturday, October 17, 1PM –3:30PM: District 8 Castro Family Summit, Eureka Valley Recreation Center,100 Collingwood St, SF, CA 94114
• Thursday, October 22, 5:30PM – 8:00PM: District 1 Richmond Family Summit, Richmond Recreation Center, 251 18th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
• Thursday, October 29, 5:30PM – 8PM: District 11 Excelsior Family Summit, Islais Place, 4840 Mission St. SF, CA 94112
• Saturday, November 7, 11AM – 1:30PM: District 2 Marina Family Summit, Marina Middle School, 3500 Fillmore St, SF, CA 94123
• Saturday, November 14, 11AM – 1:30PM: District 4 Sunset Family Summit, Sunset Recreation Center, 2201 Lawton St, SF, CA 94122
• Saturday, December 5, 11AM – 1:30PM: District 10 Bayview Family Summit, Southeast Community Center, 1550 Evans Ave, SF, CA 94124
• Saturday, December 12, 11AM – 1:30PM: District 3 Chinatown Family Summit, Betty Ann Ong Recreation Center,1199 Mason St, SF, CA 94108

(3) Participate in youth-led engagement sessions, community focus groups, and partner conversations throughout the Fall.

For more information, visit sf.gov/thisisyourcity

About OCOFI

The Our Children Our Families Initiative (OCOFI) is San Francisco's cross-sector partnership dedicated to improving outcomes for children, youth, transitional-age young adults, and families. Established in 2024 through Proposition J, OCOFI brings together 13 City departments and the San Francisco Unified School District to strengthen coordination, align planning and investments, and advance shared goals so children and families can thrive.

OCOFI partners include: Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF), Department of Early Childhood (DEC), Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), Department of Public Health (DPH)’s Behavioral Health Services (BHS) and Maternal Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH), Department on the Status of Women (DOSW), Human Rights Commission (HRC), Human Services Agency (HSA) Juvenile Probation Department (JPD), Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector (TTX), San Francisco Public Library (SFPL), San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (RPD), and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).