OFC Conducts & Releases Community Needs Assessment!
The needs of LGBTQ+ families are often erased. Even within the LGBTQ+ rights movement, we find that it often does not center LGBTQ+ families. When the right to marry was brought to a nation-wide scale, there was minimal discussion surrounding legal protections for LGBTQ+ headed households. The idea of having children and families was illegal for a long time, and in some parts of the country this still persists, and yet this conversation is frequently left out of broader community and political discussions. In response to this historic and persistent cultural and political dynamic, OFC launched the Community Needs Assessment (CNA), in an effort to better understand and increase our ability to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ headed families…
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OFC's Funders' Briefing & 2022, End Of The Year Campaign!
OFC will be hosting our yearly Funder’s Briefing on December 8th! This event will kick off our End of the Year 2022 Fundraising Campaign, “Powered by Community. Inspired by Love.”
Our goal is to raise 50k in support of operational cost, developing rapid response, programmatic support and institutional development, and increasing our capacity to be present in community with you!
Please consider supporting our fundraising efforts by donating now and sharing the links with your friends, family, and professional networks.
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OFC is Forming a New Black LGBTQ+ Parent Advisory Board!
This PAB is the first in a series of affinity-based PABs. PAB members will meet to discuss topics relating to OFC’s programs and services, and their engagement with other local service providers in order to create affirming spaces for Black LGBTQ+ families (registration here!)
PAB members will be compensated for their time $125 per meeting session, 1 session per month from November to April.
Please join - your input is valuable!
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Modern Family Show (UK) Expo
San Francisco
There has never been a greater need for an inclusive LGBTQ+ family building event.
Packed with life-changing educational content and delivered by an authentic team of parents, experts and special guest speakers.
The Modern Family Show Expo will be taking residency on March 4, 2023.
50% of proceeds from this event will benefit Our Family Coalition!
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Our Family Coalition is offering twenty two events in the month of September, both virtually and in person. OFC programs are free to the public but do require registration. Click on the links provided and fill out the registration form prior to the event to ensure a spot! Check out our calendar for events!
*Please note that the gated parking lot at the OFC offices will no longer be available during business hours. Parking stalls are all currently reserved by neighboring tenants in the building. We apologize for any inconvenience.
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Weekly, IN-PERSON: OAK - LGBTQ+ Parent-Child Playdate | Children 0-5 years | 10:30AM-11:30AM
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Description: We welcome parents and caregivers of children 0-5 years to our Friday morning parent-child playdate. Be in community with other LGBTQ caregivers and families, share resources, and interact with their children to support their psycho-social developments, parent-child bonds, and protective factors that help strengthen our families. Our playdates are held weekly in both Oakland and San Francisco on Friday mornings. We will have facilitated circle time, snacks, free play, and community building.
This group will be facilitated by MITALI PURKAYASTHA.
Dates: 11/04, 11/18
Location: Lake Merritt playground between Rotary Nature Center and Lake Merritt Labryinth off of Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
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Weekly, IN-PERSON: SF - LGBTQ+ Parent-Child Playdate | Children 0-5 years | 11:30-12:30PM
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Description: We welcome parents and caregivers of children 0-5 years to our parent-child playdate. Join other LGBTQ identified parents in this weekly group to build community with other LGBTQ caregivers and families, share resources, and interact with their children to support their psycho-social developments, parent-child bonds, and protective factors that help strengthen our families. We will have facilitated circle time, snacks, free play, and community building.
This group will be facilitated by OFC Programs Coordinator Agua Bracho.
Dates: 11/04, 11/18
Location: Our Family Coalition, 1385 Mission Street Suite 330, San Francisco, CA 94143
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Bi-Weekly, IN-PERSON: In-a-Pinch Childcare | 11AM-2PM
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Description: Feeling the pandemic fatigue? Need a break? Join us for our respite childcare offerings, available weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11AM-2PM. This essential on-site service will be held at our San Francisco office, located at 1385 Mission Street, Suite 330. Our In-A-Pinch Childcare will be facilitated by JOY ANDERSON.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Parents/legal guardians utilizing the In-A-Pinch childcare services must stay onsite at Our Family Coalition's facility. Parents/legal guardians may utilize OFC's resources, i.e. computer, telephone, family building books and information, gender-inclusive parenting materials, LGBTQ inclusive children's books, etc.
In-A-Pinch Childcare will be facilitated by JOY ANDERSON.
Dates: 11/01, 11/03, 11/08. 11/10, 11/15, 11/17, 11/29
Location: Our Family Coalition, 1385 Mission Street Suite 330, San Francisco, CA 94143
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Monthly, IN-PERSON: Queer and Trans BIPOC Parent Peer Support Group | 6-8PM
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Description: Our QTBIPOC Parent Peer Support Group is back in-person, now held on the first Wednesday of each month! Connect with and provide mutual support to other queer, trans, Black, Latinx, and POC parents and caregivers in this monthly group. Navigating the world as a queer and/or trans parent of color can be complex, and finding a safe space to to build community with each other can be challenging, especially with our progress so far amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Join this peer-led space with other queer and trans BIPOC parents/prospective parents in social community where you can be your whole self and talk about what matters to y'all! First-time participants will need to complete a brief intake upon arrival. Dinner and childcare are provided FREE with advance registration -- at least 48 hours prior to the event, so staff can make arrangements. When you arrive, please follow the instructions on the call-box for entry; if you run into issues, please contact the staff member listed below.
Dates: 11/02
Location: Our Family Coalition, 1385 Mission Street Suite 330, San Francisco, CA 94143
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Monthly, IN-PERSON: Trans/GNC Parent Peer Support Group | 6-8PM
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Description: Our Trans/GNC Parent Peer Support Group is back in-person, now held on the second Wednesday of each month!Be in community with trans and gender-nonconforming parents, prospective parents, and co-parents to connect and share what's on your minds. From the workplace to trans activism, transition to temper tantrums, and particularly, how to manage stress during these most challenging of times: discuss whatever you'd like to in a safe space with friendly, supportive people. Newcomers welcome! First-time participants will need to complete a brief intake upon arrival. Dinner and childcare are provided FREE with advance registration -- at least 48 hours prior to the event, so staff can make arrangements.
Dates: 11/09
Location: Our Family Coalition, 1385 Mission Street Suite 330, San Francisco, CA 94143
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Monthly, VIRTUAL: Prospective and Expectant Parent Peer Support Group | 6PM-8PM
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Description: Are you ready to start a family, but aren't sure where to begin? Or is a child on the way, and you want to connect with other queer and trans expectant families? Whether you're trying to conceive, using surrogacy, or going through the adoption process, come to connect with others and share what is on your mind in this peer support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer prospective and expectant parents! Our group meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 6-8 pm virtually through Zoom.
Date: 11/16
Location: Virtual
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Monthly, VIRTUAL: Postpartum Parent Peer Support Group | 6PM-8PM
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Description: Becoming a parent is a massive transformation. Be in a space with LGBTQ folks who've given birth to talk about some of the challenges of the postpartum period, and provide peer support for one another while parenting during such a challenging historical moment.
This group will be facilitated by OFC Programs Director and new parent Shareena Clark Ascher.
Dates: 11/30
Location: Virtual
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Monthly, VIRTUAL: Non-Bio / Non-Gestational Parent Peer Support Group | 6-8 PM
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Description: Our Non-Bio/Non-Gestational Parent Peer Support Group returns this fall! Parenting is a journey unto itself, but for so many LGBTQ+ families it means making some compromises, sacrifices, and a lot of planning. For non-biological and/or non-gestating parents, there are a series of gender, familial, and societal shifts that are often hard to navigate. We hope that by holding space for a peer-led support group conversation, parents that are non-bio/non-gestating can share their highs, lows, tips, and tools, and other caregivers will have the resources they need to build their family with even greater support. We hope that this event will create a space for non-bio/non-gestating parents to learn from one another and build community support. This group will be held monthly on the fourth Thursday, beginning virtually, with the possibility of meeting in-person as the opportunities and interest arise.We held the first iterations of this group in the spring, and plan to discuss what topics folks would like to plot out for future meetings, connect folks with resources, and really start rebuilding our community connections that have been hard to maintain through the challenges of pandemic restrictions. All of our families are created in many different ways, as such we are encouraging anyone in the LGBTQ+ families that identifies as non-biological, non-gestational, or both to participate and ask that folks be thoughtful and mindful of the various intersectional identities that will be present in this space.
This group will be facilitated by parent facilitator MAHLIA JOYCE.
Dates: Cancelled
Location: Virtual
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Postponed, VIRTUAL: Parentpower: Family Relationships Workshop with Kidpower
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Description: Looking to strengthen your boundary-setting skills? Interested in learning more about how to manage emotional triggers? Join Our Family Coalition and KidPower for a workshop on positive communication skills for adults to use and teach to their kiddos.
Because relationships with family can be some of the most important and also some of the most challenging, KidPower has decades of experience coaching people – especially adults and teens – how to adapt and apply KidPower techniques to strengthen communication with family.
In this online program, you’ll benefit from the expertise KidPower has developed through these decades of work with people from all walks of life.
Participants leave with strategies to:
- Set clear, respectful boundaries – including with elders and with children who are not your own
- Manage your emotional triggers – so they don’t rule your behavior
- Stay assertive – rather than becoming passive or aggressive
- Deal confidently with negative responses to boundaries – without actually lowering your boundaries
- Advocate to stop unwanted attention directed at your child or at other vulnerable people in the family
KidPower International is the global nonprofit leader in ‘People Safety’ education – an international movement of leaders reaching millions of people of all ages, abilities, genders, identities, and walks of life with effective, culturally-competent interpersonal and social safety skills.
Dates: Postponed to 12/05
Location: Virtual
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Holidays & Days of Observation
November is Indigenous American Heritage & Adoption Awareness Month!
- Nov 8: Intersex Day of Rememberance
- Nov 16: International Day for Tolerance
- Nov 20: Transgender Day of Rememberance
- Nov 21-25: National Book Week
- Nov 24: National Day of Mourning
- Nov 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
- Nov 29: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
- Nov 29: Giving Tuesday - Give to your favorite charities and non-profit organizations!
OFC will be closed on the following dates to observe holidays:
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Our Family Coalition is hiring!
We are currently seeking:
- Communications & Development Director (Staff)
To apply please email your resume, cover-letter, references, and work samples (where applicable) to -
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Our Family Coalition's Mission |
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Our Family Coalition (OFC) advances equity for the full and expanding spectrum of LGBTQ+ families and children through support, education, and advocacy. Uniquely situated at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and family justice work, we are powered by community, and inspired by a love of children and families and a vision of a just society where we all belong and thrive.
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Our work is brought to you thanks to generous support from your donations,
and to the major funding partners below:
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with additional support from: |
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Ginna Brelsford & Jillian Marcellus |
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Katherine Delmar Burke School |
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• We give our respect to the Ramaytush and Chochenyo Ohlone people, on whose traditional and unceded land we are grateful to live and work, and on which our San Francisco and East Bay events take place.
• We strive to make our office and programs accessible to all families. Please let us know when you register what accommodations will help your family participate to the fullest. Read our Accessibility Statement here.
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