SFkids Spotlight

TrustLine 

TrustLine was created by the California Legislature in 1987 to ensure that parents had a resource for evaluating a prospective nanny or babysitter. Using fingerprint checks, the provider is checked for disqualifying criminal convictions or substantiated child abuse reports in California.

Megan's Law: Information on Registered Sex Offenders

Have you searched your neighborhood, caregivers zip code or near your child's school? Being aware and proactive in your community helps to ensure the safety of your children and all children. The Megan's Law website has a vast amount of information regarding sex offenders. Visit the site to search for California sex registrants, read Megan's Law, learn tips on how to protect yourself and your family, learn facts about sex offenders, and more. Read more... 

 A Book Guide for Pre-teens & their Families 
from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford

If you are looking for resources for your child, or yourself, on talking to kids about puberty.and sexual activity Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford offers a list of reference resources taken from a variety of books on puberty and sexuality.

Talking to Kids about LGBT Issues

The DCYF-funded San Francisco LGBT Community Center was featured on the ABC 7 television show View From the Bay with tips on how parents can discuss lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues with their children.

Click Here for TV Video and Tips 

More LGBT Resources  

• Our Family Coalition is a great resource for LGBT families. They also have a very comprehensive list of LGBT resources in the Bay Area on their website.

• San Francisco LGBT Center is an amazing community center offering programs and activities for LGBT parents including drop-in youth programs, youth educational workshops, parent peer-led support groups, and activities for children and parents. Their KidsSpace offers a place for families to hang out, drop-in child care, and parent-child classes.

• COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) COLAGE is a national organization founded to serve children of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families. San Francisco is COLAGE's home base but they have programs and events all over the country.

• New Leaf: Services for Our Community 
New Leaf was founded in 1995 to provide mental health, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and support services to low-income and disenfranchised families, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) community. Their Children, Youth, and Family Services department provides mental health services to young LGBTQQ people, their parents, and families.

• iPride & Fusion - supporting multiracial families and individuals

• Pact  - An Adoption Alliance - supporting families who have adopted (or plan to adopt) children of color.

Parent Group Listserves

Join a parents listserv/forum group and share common concerns pertaining to the topic of the group. Most groups require that you become a member. Yahoo accounts are free to join.  Don't forget to Google Groups too.

• Babblebabies YahooGroup
Babblebabies welcomes Spanish families in San Francisco. There is also a Spanish language playgroup for Spanish-speaking caregivers.

El sitio Babblebabies es un foro para los padres de familia quienes están criando niños en San Francisco. También tienen un grupo de juego en español que se reúne una vez por semana.

• French Parent Yahoo Group
Bienvenue aux mamans francaises et francophiles de San Francisco. Nous donnons un rendez-vous hebdomadaire pour partager nos experiences et nos questions sur nos petits-bouts.

• Neighborhood Yahoo groups like; Glen Park Parent, Noe Valley Parent, North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association Parents Group, Bernal Heights Parents,  Mission Parents, and other Yahoo groups we have found are in the Presidio, Inner Sunset Parents, Excelsior, West Portal, Eureka Valley Parents.   

• Potrero Hill Parents Association. Parents interested in joining must be parents and need to be approved.  Send an email to join.

• Parents for Public Schools

• San Francisco Schools

• San Francisco Parents of Multiples

• Adoptive Parents in SF Bay Area

• La Patroñas North Yahoo Group. For parents who employ or wish to employ nannies, babysitters, or mother's helpers in the SF Bay Area.

Most school communities have a list serve for families to join to keep updated and in the loop.

• San Francisco Parents is a forum for parents in SF with a focus on babies and toddlers.

Local Parenting and Family-Friendly Neighborhood Blogs

Our very own San Francisco blogroll...

• A Little Yumminess, Stacie and Simran share their recipes and food adventures with their children.

• Frisco Kids 

• Frog Mom, SFkids.org contributor Laure Latham's writes about life with kids, travel, food, entertainment, and all kinds of fun stuff.

• Hill Babies, Hiking the San Francisco Bay Area with a Baby

• The Mommy Files, Amy Graff's take on raising kids by the Bay.

• The Poop, SF Chronicle's Baby Blog