Good Samaritan Family Resource Center Of San Francisco

SINCE 1894, GOOD SAMARITAN FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER HAS HELPED 1MM1GRANTS' FAMILIES ACCESS NEEDED SERVICES, DEVELOP SELF-SUFF1C1ENCY,AND PARTICIPATE FULLY AS MEMBERS OF SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY, THROUGH ITS' VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.

YOUTH SERVICES:IN 2021-2022, GOOD SAMARITANS YOUTH SERVICES PROVIDED 3 COMPREHENSIVE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THE BAYVIEW/HUNTERS POINT DISTRICT OF SAN FRANCISCO AT WILLIE BROWN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THURGOOD MARSHALL ACADEMIC HIGH SCHOOL, AND AT CALVARY HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH. ADDITIONALLY, WE PROVIDED 17 NEWCOMER SUPPORT GROUPS TO 7 SCHOOL SITES IN SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE HOSTED 6 COMPREHENSIVE SUMMER CAMPS PROVIDING LEARNING RECOVERY, MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION, ECONOMIC SUPPORT AND CASE MANAGEMENT. COLLECTIVELY OUR PROGRAMS SUPPORTED A TOTAL OF 764 CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND TEENS. OUR WORK HAS RETURNED TO 100% IN PERSON THIS YEAR. THROUGHOUT THE CURRENT PANDEMIC RECOVERY PERIOD, OUR STRATEGY FOR OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS IS TO STAY CONNECTED AND BUILD RAPPORT WITH EACH AND EVERY CHILD AND FAMILY, PROVIDE LEARNING RECOVERY PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVITIES PAIRED WITH SOCIAL EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION, HELPING PARTICIPANTS TRANSITION TO BACK INTO IN PERSON LEARNING AND SOCIAL ACADEMIC AND RECREATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS.

FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES:GOOD SAMARITAN EMPLOYS A TWO-GENERATION MODEL FOCUSING ON HELPING TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AND SUPPORT THE LONG-TERM WELLBEING AND SUCCESS OF THEIR CHILDREN. SINCE THE EARLY NOTICE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDERS, GOOD SAMARITAN WAS DESIGNATED AS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICES AGENCY AND FIRST RESPONDER. GOOD SAMARITAN INITIATED ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY PLANNING, COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, RISK ASSESSMENTS, COMMUNICATION AND RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES. WE LEARNED OF THE DISPROPORTIONAL IMPACT OF COVID AND THE SUBSEQUENT ECONOMIC FALLOUT ON OUR CLIENTS AS THOUSANDS LOST THEIR JOBS AND SOURCES OF INCOME; NOW NEEDING FOOD, AND OTHER ESSENTIALS AS THE PANDEMIC TAKES ITS TOLL ON LOW-INCOME FAMILIES. FACING THESE HARDSHIPS, GOOD SAMARITAN QUICKLY ADAPTED AND FORMED AN ESSENTIAL SERVICES HUB PROVIDING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES, DISTANCE AND IN PERSON PROGRAMMING TO CHILDREN AND ADULTS, AND ON-SITE BASIC NEED SUPPORT. KEY AREAS OF SUPPORT INCLUDE: 1 ESSENTIAL SERVICES/BASIC NEED DISTRIBUTIONS: WE ESTABLISHED A COVID EMERGENCY FUND AND HAVE PROVIDED MORE THAN $270,000 IN CASH ASSISTANCE, FOOD, DIAPERS AND OTHER BASIC GOODS TO MORE THAN 360 FAMILIES. 2 INDIVIDUAL SERVICES: WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH 770 FAMILIES ANNUALLY PROVIDING BASIC INFORMATION AND REFERRALS TO BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL RESOURCES INCLUDING WELLNESS SUPPORT, RESOURCE INFORMATION, ASSISTANCE WITH EMERGENCY NEEDS, COVID-RELATED RESOURCES, FAMILY ADVOCACY AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES. 3 GROUP PROGRAMMING: WE ARE SUPPORTING 323 FAMILIES THROUGH OUR VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON SUPPORT GROUPS OFFERING ONLINE ESL CLASSES FOR PARENTS/ADULTS, AND EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN 0-5 VIRTUALLY, PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS, CLASSES AND VIRTUAL PARENT/CHILD INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER:GOOD SAMARITAN PROVIDES A TITLE V & STATE LICENSED PRESCHOOL PROVIDING A SPANISH-ENGLISH DUAL LANGUAGE CURRICULUM TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING SERVING UP TO 32 (2.5-5 YR. OLD) CHILDREN. INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT: TEACHERS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MAINTAINED AN ENGAGING DUAL LANGUAGE PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM THAT HAS SUPPORTED NEWCOMER CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM HAS DEVELOPED TWO COHORTS APPROPRIATE FOR EACH PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENTALLY AGE. STUDENT AND TEACHER RATIOS ARE 1:5 FOR A THIRD OF THE EACH DAY. 95% OF THE PREVIOUS GRADUATING CLASS HAS REPORTED TO BE RECEPTIVELY FLUENT IN BOTH SPANISH AND ENGLISH. 85% HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO BE EXPRESSIVELY FLUENT IN BOTH LANGUAGES. TEACHING STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION: THE CDC RETAINED FIVE (ANGELICA, CRISTINA, IRMA, DOLORES, MARICELA) OF THE SIX ORIGINAL TEACHERS WHO HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. IN ADDITION, WE RECRUITED NEW TEAM MEMBERS PURSUING THEIR CERTIFICATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE) AND CALIFORNIA TEACHING CREDENTIALS (CTC). THESE NEW MEMBERS CONSISTED OF ONE LEAD TEACHER, THREE TEACHER ASSISTANTS, A SITE SUPERVISOR, AND A FAMILY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR. STAFF WERE HIRED TO PREPARE AND TRAIN FOR OUR NEW PRESCHOOL SITE AT 2050 FOLSOM ST. AND HAVE ALLOWED SENIOR TEACHERS TO ENGAGE IN SIGNIFICANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTAIN VERY LOW TEACHER TO STUDENT RATIOS.ALL FOUR NEWLY RECRUITED TEACHERS HAVE STRONG BACKGROUNDS IN PROJECT BASED LEARNING AND OVER 12 YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING IN BILINGUAL PRESCHOOLS. THE SITE SUPERVISOR POSITION WAS FINALLY FILLED BY, LILY SANCHEZ, IN DECEMBER 2022. THE CDC HAD INTERVIEWED ONLY FOUR QUALIFIED CANDIDATES OVER A TIMESPAN OF 11 MONTHS. LILY HAS OVER 20 YEARS' EXPERIENCE WORKING IN ECE INFANT AND TODDLER PROGRAMMING. THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED BY, PAOLA PORTILLO. PAOLA HAS A MSW AND BACKGROUND WORKING AS A CASE MANAGER FOR ALAMEDA CHILD AND FAMILY PROTECTIVE SERVICES. THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR POSITION HAD REMAINED OPEN FOR MORE THAN FIVE MONTHS AS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND A QUALIFIED BILINGUAL CANDIDATE WITH EARLY INTERVENTION AND FAMILY COMMUNITY BUILDING SKILLS. WE ARE VERY EXCITED WITH THE TEAM BEING BUILT.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A PATHWAY FOR MENTORSHIP AND CONTINUED EDUCATION: THE NEW TEACHERS HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL WITH SUPPORTING POTRERO TEACHERS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MODELING EFFECTIVE PROJECT BASED TEACHING STRATEGIES. THE NEW TEACHERS WORK AS SUBSTITUTES WHILE POTRERO TEACHERS RECEIVE ADDITIONAL 4-6 HOURS A WEEK OF ADMINISTRATION TIME. ADMINISTRATION TIME CONSISTS OF COACHING, PLANNING INSTRUCTION, WRITING OBSERVATION REPORTS, ATTENDING MENTAL HEALTH AND CURRICULUM TRAININGS, AND PARTICIPATING IN COLLABORATIVE REFLECTIVE DISCUSSIONS.LEAD TEACHERS HAVE TAKEN A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN MENTORING ENTRY LEVEL TEACHERS IN OUR DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS (DLL) PROGRAM. OUR PROGRAM STRUCTURE ALLOWS ENTRY LEVEL TEACHERS TO SHADOW MASTER/LEAD TEACHERS THROUGHOUT CIRCLE TIME AND TABLE ACTIVITIES. THIS PROVIDES CONFIDENCE, EXPERIENCE, AND SUPPORT FOR OUR ENTRY LEVEL TEACHERS. MASTER TEACHERS GIVE FEEDBACK AND PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORT.MANY OF THE TEACHER ASSISTANTS AND THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RECEIVING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CREDITS NEEDED TO SUBMIT THEIR CALIFORNIA TEACHING CREDENTIALS PERMIT APPLICATION. GOOD SAMARITAN IS SUPPORTING ALL TEACHING STAFF TO ATTAIN THE APPROPRIATE PERMITS THROUGH ADVANCE COLLEGE PARTNERSHIP AND COMMUNITY PATHWAY RESOURCES AT CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO AND ECE REACH PROGRAM.ALL TEACHERS HAVE RECEIVED TRAUMA INFORMED WELLNESS REFLECTIVE TOPICS FACILITATED BY A MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTANT. IN THESE DISCUSSIONS, TEACHERS ARE CHALLENGED TO REFLECT ON THEIR RESPONSES TO CHILDRENS CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR AND THEIR OVERALL KNOWLEDGE OF INTERVENTION.STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS (DLL) INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT: IN PREPARATION FOR OUR CLASS ASSESSMENT SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 10, 2023 AND OVERALL DLL PROGRAM QUALITY, OUR TEACHING TEAM HAS BEGUN WORKING WITH, ZOLIA CARTAGENA, A DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD (DEC) COACH. WE CONTINUE TO ENHANCE OUR CLASSROOM LEARNING ENVIRONMENT(S) AND PROJECT-BASED CURRICULUM APPROPRIATE FOR DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS. TEACHERS ARE EXPANDING THEIR TOOL KITS TO INCLUDE PERSONALIZED ORAL LANGUAGE LEARNING (POLL) STRATEGIES,