GETTING BEHIND THE HEADLINES:
FAMILIES LEAVING SAN FRANCISCO
ON THE EVE OF THE CITY'S
FIRST FAMILY FESTIVAL

Mayor's Policy Council to spearhead efforts
to retain San Francisco families
and craft policy recommendations
to address drawbacks outlined in the report

Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

From the Mayor's Office of Communications

October 21, 2005

At a press conference in City Hall today, Mayor Gavin Newsom released the city's first official report-Getting Behind the Headlines: Families Leaving San Francisco-that addresses the declining child and family population. The Mayor was joined by Margaret Brodkin, Director of the Department of Children, Youth and their Families, Dr. Robert Corrigan, President of San Francisco State University, and other members of the Mayor's Policy Council. Mayor Newsom also took this opportunity to share his vision for San Francisco families, and outlined his administration's two-pronged approach necessary to fortify San Francisco's families.

Mayor Gavin Newsom, Dr. Robert Corrigan,
President of San Francisco State University.

Margaret Brodkin, Director of the Department of Children,
Youth and Families

The report-Getting Behind the Headlines: Families Leaving San Francisco-was prepared by the Public Research Institute at San Francisco State University on behalf of the Mayor's Policy Council on Children, Youth and their Families. The Council, whose members include representatives from city departments, the Chamber of Commerce, the city's community-based organizations, and academic institutions, is focused on the exodus of families from the city.

The report sheds light on the simultaneous phenomena of a rising birth rate and a declining school-age population in San Francisco, and the reasons families with children under age 6 are most likely to leave the city. The data reveals that families in all socio-economic and ethnic groups are leaving, although middle income and African American families have shown the greatest decline in the past ten years. Reasons for leaving the city were probed by the researchers and include housing costs, cost of living generally, and school quality.
"Families are the backbone of our neighborhoods and children are the city's hope for the future," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "We must proactively confront the challenges that drive families out of San Francisco," Newsom continued. "We aim to lead the way in addressing this urban issue."

Mayor Newsom released the report on the day prior to the city's first Family Festival, sponsored by the Mayor's Office in collaboration with 12 city departments. Saturday's event will kick off the Mayor's Families Connect, a series of events focusing on the families that are in the city now. Family Festival (detail sheet enclosed) will be held at Yerba Buena Gardens on October 22 from 11am until 3pm.

"We believe that San Francisco can turn the corner, and not only prevent the exodus of families, but start to attract more families to raise their children in this exciting city," says Margaret Brodkin, Director of the Department of Children, Youth and their Families and co-chair of the Policy Council.

Although San Francisco is already a national leader in many progressive family policies-it has the nation's only local earned income tax credit, is one of the only cities in the country providing universal health care for children, and has childcare policies that lead the country-the Policy Council plans more actions over the next year to address our unique local needs.

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