Children's Council of San Francisco

What Children's Council of San Francisco does

Children's Council of San Francisco is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit child care resource and referral agency founded in 1973 and headquartered at 445 Church Street in San Francisco's Mission district. The organization operates a comprehensive Child Care Finder database (powered by WorkLife Systems) paired with counselor-assisted Resource & Referral services delivered by 160+ multilingual early education experts, and administers Early Learning For All (ELFA), a San Francisco Department of Early Childhood initiative that directs city tuition subsidies to families earning up to 200% Area Median Income. Adjacent program lines include the Healthy Apple nutrition curriculum (validated by a peer-reviewed BMC Public Health evaluation), the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and a Black & BIPOC ECE Achievement suite comprising pre-apprenticeship pathways, an Equity Leadership Academy, and a partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute.

The revenue model is overwhelmingly grant- and contract-driven: the majority of funding flows from the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood, California Department of Education, and California Department of Social Services, with material supplemental grants from the Bainum Family Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, and The James Irvine Foundation, plus corporate sponsorship and individual donations. Direct fee revenue is limited to workshops (Pediatric CPR & First Aid at $120, Health & Safety at $100) and provider CACFP reimbursements averaging $4,500–$6,700 annually; family-facing services are delivered at no cost. Service distribution runs through a Mission-district walk-in center, phone/email counseling, the 24/7 web Child Care Finder, and the CareConnect (MCT Technology) enrollment and payment platform that is mandatory for all ELFA providers.

The organization serves three core segments: San Francisco families seeking licensed care for children ages 0–13, family child care providers (including 627 BIPOC micro-entrepreneurs supported to date), and — through BizNest — prospective early educators across 12 California counties. Operational footprint now encompasses more than 500 ELFA-funded programs, 100+ child care businesses launched through the Family Child Care Business Incubator, 1,037 providers trained since 2019, and 10,000+ referrals delivered annually. Governance is by board of directors under executive leadership including CEO Barbara Coccodrilli Carlson (appointed 2024), Chief Strategy & Impact Officer Claudia Quinonez, Chief Advancement Officer Amie Latterman, and Chief Philanthropy Officer Denise Marica.

Name

Children's Council of San Francisco

Legal name

Children's Council of San Francisco

Website

https://childrenscouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Children's Council of San Francisco is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 that administers child care referrals, financial assistance, and provider training programs for San Francisco families, licensed family child care providers, and BIPOC early educators across 12 California counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Care Resource and Referral Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Subsidy & Funding Compliance (CCDF/child care assistance program requirements) (EDACAKAN)

Keywords

• Child care referral
• Early childhood education
• Family support services
• Child care subsidies
• Early educator training

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from government sources including San Francisco Department of Early Childhood (DEC), California Department of Education, and California Department of Social Services to administer child care subsidies, resource and referral services, and early education programs.
2. Foundation Funding: Philanthropic support from foundations including Bainum Family Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and others for specific programs like BizNest and Black & BIPOC ECE Achievement initiatives.
3. Donations and Corporate Sponsorship: Individual donations, annual corporate sponsorship opportunities, and legacy giving programs to support the organization's mission and advocacy work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Children's Council of San Francisco operates a comprehensive child care resource and referral agency that connects families with licensed child care providers through an online Child Care Finder database and counselor-assisted matching. The organization administers the city-funded Early Learning For All (ELFA) financial assistance program providing free or subsidized tuition to eligible San Francisco families. For child care providers, it delivers business training through the BizNest/Family Child Care Business Incubator, the Healthy Apple nutrition program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimbursements.

Product overview

Children's Council of San Francisco operates as a nonprofit child care resource and referral agency offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services for families seeking care and early educators building their businesses. The core offering centers on the Child Care Finder database and Resource & Referral Services, complemented by the Early Learning For All (ELFA) financial assistance program which directs city funding to eligible families. For providers, BizNest serves as the umbrella brand encompassing the Family Child Care Business Incubator for business training, the Healthy Apple Program for nutrition support, the CACFP Food Program for meal reimbursements, and the Technology Help Desk for system support. Additional offerings include the Black & BIPOC ECE Achievement suite for equity-focused workforce development, family workshops, and a Zendesk-powered Online Help Center. These programs operate through integrations with CareConnect for ELFA enrollment/payments, KidKare for food program claims, WorkLife Systems for the parent portal, and Zendesk for customer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BizNest at Children's Council: Umbrella program for all training, resources and services for established, new and prospective early educators, including the Family Child Care Business Incubator.
• Healthy Apple Program
• Family Child Care Business Incubator
• Black & BIPOC ECE Achievement

Products and services

• Child Care Finder Mobile-friendly searchable database of licensed child care providers in San Francisco, allowing families to filter by child's age, ZIP code, weekly schedule, and reason for requesting care. Free for families to use.
• Child Care Resource & Referral Services Counselor-assisted referrals to licensed child care programs based on family needs and requirements, with guidance on quality indicators and connections to financial assistance. Available in multiple languages via phone, email, and in-person at 445 Church Street, San Francisco.
• Early Learning For All (ELFA) City-funded financial assistance initiative providing free or discounted early care and education to San Francisco families with children ages 0-5, administered through Children's Council with eligibility tiers up to 200% Area Median Income and over 500 high-quality programs in the funded network.
• BizNest at Children's Council Umbrella program for entrepreneurship training, resources and services for established, new and prospective early educators, including the Family Child Care Business Incubator, Training of Trainers, and professional development offerings.
• Family Child Care Business Incubator Eight-workshop series covering business fundamentals including program design, curriculum, environment design, marketing, contracts, communication, business finances, and business taxes to help launch and grow family child care businesses. Has launched over 100 new child care businesses creating over 800 new slots.
• Healthy Apple Program Free research-based program supporting child care educators in implementing nutrition and physical activity best practices for children from birth to age 5, including self-assessment, goal-setting, and coaching. Peer-reviewed validation published in BMC Public Health.
• Child Care Food Program (CACFP) USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program offering monthly financial reimbursements to family child care providers for serving nutritious meals meeting CACFP standards. Average annual reimbursement for providers is approximately $4,500-$6,700.
• Black & BIPOC ECE Achievement Programs Suite of programs supporting training, retention and leadership development of Black and BIPOC early childhood professionals, including the Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways Program with City College of San Francisco, ECE Equity Leadership Academy, and Black Early Educator Policy Council.
• Child Care Financial Assistance Eligibility Calculator Online tool helping families determine eligibility for various child care financial assistance programs including ELFA, CalWORKs, Head Start, and state vouchers.
• Online Help Center Zendesk-powered self-service help center providing families and providers with FAQs, articles, and guidance on child care topics in multiple languages.
• Family and Provider Workshops Educational workshops for families and child care providers including Pediatric CPR & First Aid certification ($120 per participant), Health & Safety course ($100), playgroups, parent cafe sessions, and child development education in English, Spanish, and Cantonese.
• Technology Help Desk

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ new child care businesses launched through Family Child Care Business Incubator, creating over 800 new child care slots
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Formal partnership establishing BCDI Children's Council of San Francisco Village, deepening community engagement with Black children and families through the Black Family Empowerment Day Wellness Summit.
• Social Policy Research Associates (SPR)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Partnered to fully evaluate the FCC Business Incubator Program, producing executive summary and final evaluation report.
• San Francisco Department of Early Childhood (DEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEC is the City's largest funder of early childhood, providing funding and oversight for Early Learning For All initiative and other programs. DEC covers family fees for many state subsidies.
• San Francisco Department of Public HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of Healthy Apple Program, providing expertise on child care health practices and supporting policy development.
• San Francisco Office of Early Care and EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the Healthy Apple Program for child care wellness.
• City College of San FranciscominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for the Black & BIPOC ECE Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways Program, providing college units and career connections.
• MCT Technology (CareConnect)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing CareConnect all-in-one early education platform for ELFA providers to manage enrollment certification and payments.
• Wu Yee Children's ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organization for Head Start referrals and alternative sponsor for Child Care Food Program.
• San Francisco Human Services Agency (HSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for CalWORKs Child Care Voucher applications and eligibility determination.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Brightwheel: Leading child care management SaaS platform used by ECE providers for attendance, billing, and family communication. Comparable as a technology infrastructure layer serving the same early childhood provider ecosystem, though positioned as a software vendor rather than a direct R&R agency.
• First 5 San Francisco: San Francisco's First 5 county commission funding ECE programs for children prenatal through age 5. Comparable as a SF-focused early childhood funder and policy partner that also funds Children's Council's ELFA and Healthy Apple work, rather than a direct R&R competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Child Care Aware of America: National nonprofit umbrella organization supporting the CCR&R network across all 50 states. Broadly comparable as the national-scale R&R and policy advocacy counterpart to Children's Council's localized San Francisco CCR&R operations.

Direct peers

• Kidango: Bay Area nonprofit operating one of the largest ECE provider networks in California, including Head Start, Early Head Start, and state preschool programs. Comparable as a Bay Area ECE operator that works closely with the same SF/Bay Area subsidy systems Children's Council administers.
• Child Care Resource Center: One of California's largest CCR&R agencies serving Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties with R&R, provider training, and subsidy administration. Directly comparable as a California CCR&R operating at significantly larger scale with similar program mix.
• Wu Yee Children's Services: San Francisco-based nonprofit providing early childhood education, family child care, and Head Start services. Directly comparable because both organizations serve SF families and providers with overlapping ECE programs and even partner on Head Start referrals and food program sponsorship.
• Bananas: Oakland-based child care resource and referral agency serving Alameda County with the same core model of family referrals, provider training, and subsidy navigation. Closest functional peer as a Bay Area CCR&R with comparable R&R and provider support mandate.
• CocoKids (Contra Costa Child Care Council): Contra Costa County's designated child care resource and referral agency providing R&R, provider professional development, and subsidy administration. Highly comparable as a county-level CCR&R operating with the same core functions in an adjacent Bay Area geography.

Emerging players

• Wonderschool: Bay Area-headquartered technology platform supporting family child care providers with business tools, licensing support, and family matching. Comparable as a tech-enabled solution targeting the same family child care provider segment Children's Council supports through BizNest.

Regional players

• YMCA of San Francisco: San Francisco YMCA operates licensed child care, after-school programs, and family services across the city. Comparable as a regional community-based organization delivering child care and family programming in overlapping SF geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/childcaresf
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrenscouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/children's-council-of-san-francisco
• Instagraminstagram.com/childcaresf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Children's Council of San Francisco