Support Navigating SFUSD - Family

Families are their child's first teacher. All families want to do their best in supporting their child’s education, and in order to do so, they need to understand how to navigate SFUSD’s supports, services, and transitions along the way to make sure their children get what they need to be successful.

Sometimes navigating SFUSD requires a lot of specific knowledge, such as knowing where to look, how to make sense of what is being shared, what to ask, and who to ask. All of this information is needed for families to make timely decisions about what is right for them and to know when and how to advocate for their child.

Families may be experiencing a variety of transitions, such as a new foster care placement, a safety transfer or migrant families arriving in San Francisco and need to enroll their children in school, to name a few. It’s important that families reach out to receive support during these transitions.

1. Start with Your Child's School

2. Get Support on the SFUSD Family Link Line

3. Use SFUSD's Website to Find Services & Supports

Start with your child’s school.

• Ask questions. Someone at the school site will be able to answer or point you in the right direction.  
• It’s important to know who’s who at your child’s school. Depending on funding, SFUSD is able to provide school sites with staff members who help support students and families both inside and outside the classroom. Every school in SFUSD receives some support, but the specific resources and staff roles vary from school to school. You can ask your child’s teacher, office staff or the principal about the supports and people that are available to help students, families and classroom teachers this year.

Use the following guide to better understand who might be working at your child’s school and collect their names and contact information.

Get support on the SFUSD Family Link line. Families can get support from content experts in a variety of areas including but not limited to: 

• Technology 
• Student learning 
• Student enrollment
• Special education 
• Food & nutrition 
• Physical & mental wellness 

Families can access the Family Resource Link in three ways:

• Go to familylink.sfusd.edu to complete an online request form.
• Email your request to familylink@sfusd.edu
• Call 415-340-1716* 

*Hours of operation for the phone are Monday through Friday from 9AM - 1PM. Callers can leave a voicemail at all hours.

Explore other useful SFUSD supports and links on www.sfusd.edu.

• Visit the SFUSD Family Support Services page to find answers about language interpretation support, how to communicate with your school, or how to share a concern.
• Explore the SFUSD Programs and Services designated to support specific student populations such as:
  • African American Achievement & Leadership Initiative (AAALI) 
  • Students Learning English
  • Foster Youth Services
  • Indian Education Program
  • LGBTQ Support Services
  • Migrant Education Program
  • RISE –SF (families new to the United States)
  • Special Education Services

The SF Shared Schoolyard Project is a partnership between the City of San Francisco, the San Francisco Unified School District, SFDPW, SFPD and San Francisco’s neighborhoods and communities and works to provide a place for children and families to play within walking distance of every child.

SFFamilies.org is an online service directory that connects San Francisco’s children, youth and their families to local community services. This resource was developed by the Our Children, Our Families Council, a joint initiative between the San Francisco Unified School District and the San Francisco Office of the Mayor.

Click here to return back to the SFUSD Family Partnership homepage