SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the launch of a new citywide agenda promising access to child care for every family for kids under the age of 5.
The plan also includes a pilot program creating a direct pathway for high school students to attend San Francisco State University.
"We are going to make sure that every family has the opportunity to access child care in San Francisco. This is a big moment for our city and families and a model for the country," said Mayor Daniel Lurie, San Francisco.
The average child care cost in San Francisco is $36,000 a year for one child. Under the new "Family Opportunity Agenda," the city is vowing to significantly reduce or even eliminate that expense.
"For families making up to 150% of area medium income, so for a family of four, that's $230,000. You will get full tuition credit for free child care at one of our early learning for all network providers. We have over 500 of them across the city," said Kunal Modi, San Francisco's Policy Chief of Health & Human Services and added, "For families who make up to 200% of area medium income roughly $310,000 they will get a 50% tuition credit so child care will be more affordable."
According to the city, there at about 15,000 children in San Francisco who are between the ages of 0-5 who could be potentially eligible for these benefits. The city is hoping this will keep more families here.
"It's incredible. People can consider staying here. We are a school that has children who went here and now they are bringing their children, and they can consider staying at a time when a lot of people are considering moving out," said Ilsa Miller, Executive Director of Pacific Primary.
Pacific Primary School is gearing up to inform the families who qualify. The city said the program starts now.
"This allows working families to be able to work, to be able to provide for their families and know that their children thriving in a wonderful program," said Miller.
Another aspect of this agenda is expediting high school students' pathway into college allowing SFUSD students to earn associate degrees or industry certifications at City College for free.
"Get high school students through dual enrollment to get their certification or degree before they graduate from high school so they're getting a jump start and not just taking a couple classes," said Kimberlee Messina, Chancellor of City College of San Francisco.
Chancellor Messina said the city is focusing efforts on five sectors: Health care, Biotech, Construction/Maritime, Education and Hospitality/Culinary.
"This a way for them to maximize their time in high school in an area that they find interesting but also in an area where there are jobs and there are competitive wages," said Chancellor Messina.
The city is using unspent funds from Prop C to make this happen.
"This was actually already appropriated funds from the 2018 voter proposition known as baby prop C that fund generates over $150 million in revenue annually and there was a stockpile of unspent funds that had been built up over $570 million that were restricted funds especially for childcare but hadn't been put to work," said Modi.
Modi confirmed families making up to 150% of area medium income will receive full tuition credit this month and families making up to 200% of area medium income will receive 50 percent credit in the Fall around September.