Parenting Classes

Parenting doesn’t come with a handbook and too often we rely on our experience of being parented as a guide. Safe & Sound offers parenting classes on healthy parenting behaviors, child development, and discipline. These classes are held at various times throughout the year, childcare is provided.

Children’s Playroom

Our Children’s Playroom is a safe and inclusive environment open to children ages 0-12. Caregivers are welcome to accompany their child in the Playroom, or drop them off while they take a break, meet with a counselor or attend a group.

Events for Families

Each season Safe & Sound hosts a variety of events for families. From Ice Skating in winter and celebrating mother’s and father’s days in Spring to face painting in summer and preparing to go back to school in Autumn, our events are always fun for the whole family. Sign up to our mailing list for invitations.

Groups & Workshops

Safe & Sound offers groups and workshops on parenting and topics related to family well-being. Support groups and workshops are held Monday – Thursday. Free childcare is available in the Playroom for all groups held at 1757 Waller Street. Learn More.

Care Coordination

Care coordinators support parents with tasks, such as applications, referrals, and making phone calls to other agencies/services on an as-needed basis. Ongoing short-term (12 sessions) care management support may be available depending on capacity and may also include home visits and accompaniment to appointments.

TALK Line: Parental Support Line

The TALK (Telephone Aid in Living with Kids) Line is a 24-hour parent & caregiver support warmline providing early interventions, support, and community-based referrals to parents and caregivers experiencing stress. The TALK Line is primarily staffed by trained and supervised volunteer line operators. We respond to incoming calls and also conduct regular follow-up with parents and caregivers with heightened needs.

Call the TALK Line 415-441-KIDS (5437) for any support with parenting or providing care to kids.

For families in need of more structure and comprehensive support, we offer Integrated Family Services (IFS).

This service is designed to surround families with support as they work to strengthen their protective factors. When families have strong protective factors they are able to practice positive parenting skills, address family needs, and life challenges. Once enrolled in IFS, parents collaborate with a Care Coordinator to work toward family goals.

Sample Goals

Developing positive relationships
Improving communication within the family
Identifying and reducing daily stress
Addressing concerns about money, food, and housing
Implementing routines and positive discipline strategies
Self-care

Currently this service is offered free to qualified families who live in San Francisco and have a child under age 12.

For families facing violence in the home or community, we offer support services to reduce its impact on children.

Through this service, SafeStart, families receive case management services, engage in parenting or parent-child groups that strengthen the parent-child bond, and learn about the impact of violence on young children.
This service is offered free to families with a child 6 and younger, and available in English, Spanish, and Cantonese.

SafeStart is a collaboration of Safe & Sound, APA Family Support Services, Instituto Familiar de la Raza, and YMCA Urban Services.

For families experiencing parental separation and divorce, we offer Kids’ Turn.

The Kids’ Turn curriculum helps children understand and express the difficult emotions associated with parental separation while teaching family members new ways to support affected children and manage their new life circumstance. Kids’ Turn workshops are a Family Court recognized co-parenting program and offered on sliding payment scale.

Learn More

Help children cope with parental separation.
Help children to understand and cope with the loss, anger and fear that often accompany familial separation.
Help family members support their children.
Help mothers, fathers and grandparents learn how to support their children and prevent at-risk behavior and teach the skills needed to understand the child’s perspective.
Support the diversity of participants.
Classes are conducted locally in English. Our participants include people from all types of families, including single-parent homes and alternative families.
Demystify and de-stigmatize the separation process.
Half of all U.S. marriages end in divorce or separation. Kids’ Turn promotes a healthy perspective and helps families understand that they are not alone.