City readies large early‑childhood buildout: Baby Prop C funding to raise wages, expand subsidies and grow infant‑toddler capacity

San Francisco’s newly consolidated early‑childhood office presented a major set of proposals on June 16 that use Baby Proposition C funds to address a shortage of infant and toddler care, raise early educator pay and invest in facilities.

Director Ingrid Mesquite (Department of Early Care & Education) described a strategy to increase access to high‑quality infant/toddler care and to stabilize the workforce. The mayor’s proposal includes a substantial wage initiative — the presentation identified an initial $70 million investment in early‑educator wages for the next fiscal year — and a roughly $45 million boost in subsidies to expand child care for eligible families.

Mesquite told the committee that San Francisco has near‑universal preschool for four‑year‑olds but far fewer slots for children under three; she described a multi‑pronged approach that pairs subsidy increases with targeted facility financing and a strengthened education pipeline for diverse early‑childhood teachers. The presentation highlighted a priority to direct funds to neighborhoods with the greatest need and to make grants accessible to community‑based providers.

Supervisor questions focused on administrative capacity for a merged office, how the city will blend state and philanthropic funding (including pending state grant opportunities), and whether Family Resource Centers (FRCs) would receive recurring support. After the hearing, the mayor’s budget director clarified that $3.5 million in Baby Prop C included in the mayor’s proposed budget would fund an additional parent‑support staff member at each of the city’s 26 FRCs for ongoing parenting classes and navigation supports.

What happens next: Departments will finalize staffing and operational details for the merged office and detail the rollout of subsidy expansions and capital pipelines; the Board will continue budget deliberations during the fiscal cycle.

Sources: Department presentation, June 16, 2022; city budget staff.