CROSS CULTURAL
FAMILY CENTER
ABOUT CROSS CULTURAL FAMILY CENTER
Fihankra: "house/compound"
A symbol of brotherhood, safety, security, completeness, and solidarity.
- from the Adinkra Dictionary
For over 55 years the Cross Cultural Family Center (CCFC) has provided an opportunity for families of differing cultural backgrounds to join together and work cooperatively to address the developmental and educational needs of young children in urban San Francisco.
Today, CCFC has provided child and family development programs in San Francisco for since its inception in 1969. Cross Cultural Family Center currently serve approximately 300 children and their families in San Francisco’s Western Addition, Tenderloin, Potrero Hill, Castro/Hayes Valley, Richmond District and Visitacion Valley. Currently, Cross Cultural holds Community Care Licenses for child care services for 4 infant programs,
11 preschool programs, and 2 school-age programs.
Culturally and economically diverse board and staff members guide our work. Our programs focus on the individuality of each child and the collective interests and needs of children and families in our community. There is a wide range of cultural representation among the families served in our programs, with 72 percent (72%) from homes where primary languages other than English are spoken. Teaching and support staff as well as administrative team members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.
At Cross Cultural Family Center, We Believe...
~ Children have the right to be cared for in environments that are safe, nurturing, and engaging;
~ Children have the right to learning experiences that reflect and promote their ethnic heritage, cultural values, family structure, and home language;
~ Children have the right to be cared for by well-prepared professionals who work in partnership with their families, and who are nurturing, loving, and authentic.
HISTORY OF CCFC
The Cross Cultural Family Center was established in 1969 to continue the efforts of a demonstration project entitled Nurseries in Cross Cultural Education. This was a five year project funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (1965-1970) to study the effects of cross-cultural education in enhancing the mental health of families living in the Western Addition of San Francisco, a scene of urban development. The program provided an opportunity for families to join together and work cooperatively. When the funds for the project ended, the families and staff wished to continue the program. Thus, the Cross Cultural Family Center was created.
The program provided an opportunity for a collection of nursery schools to enable a diverse group of families to join together and work cooperatively in addressing the developmental and educational needs of their children. When funds for this five-year project ended, the families and staff wished to continue their involvement in such a program, and thus, the Cross Cultural Family Center was created.
OUR MISSION
The mission of The Cross Cultural Family Center is to provide child development services in cross-cultural settings with a commitment to high quality, community based, and developmentally appropriate early care and education programs.