October 26, 2020
Skagit County, Children’s Museum start Skagit Family Resource Center.
Today, Skagit County announced a partnership with the Children’s Museum of Skagit County to create a family resource center for families adversely impacted by COVID-19. The center will be funded using Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars and will be housed at the Children’s Museum.
“In the best of times, families need community support. It truly does take a village to raise a child,” said Jennifer Sass-Walton, Child and Family Health Manager with Skagit County Public Health. “During the pandemic, and this period of economic uncertainty and isolation, families with young kids and expectant parents need support more than ever. We’re grateful to be able to provide these important services.”
Chair of the Skagit County Board of Commissioners Ron Wesen said, “Skagit County is a great place to live, and now it will be an even better place to raise a family. We’re thankful we get to use CARES funding to support expectant parents and parents of young kids during this difficult time.”
The resource center is reachable at 360-630-8352, and can provide families who have been impacted by COVID-19 with many different supports including:
- Access to basic needs such as diapers, baby wipes and other supplies (subject to income restrictions).
- Developmentally appropriate learning activities for young kids to complete independently while parents are working from home.
- Help identifying and applying for outside resources families may be eligible for, such as food or mortgage assistance programs.
“Families with kids, and particularly those children under five who maybe haven’t ever attended a traditional school setting, need community,” said Executive Director of the Skagit Children’s Museum Cate Anderson. “One of the things the Children’s Museum strives to provide is a place for families to build a network of personal and institutional support to help their young children grow and thrive, which is more important than ever in light of the pandemic. The family resource center fits exactly into that mission, and we’re excited to be able to be a lead partner.”
The Resource Center is not a drop in center, parents and families can access services by calling Resource Center staff at 360-630-8352 or visiting https://helpmegrowskagit.com/. Some services are subject to income restrictions.
If you have questions about the program, or need additional information, call Public Health at 360-416-1500. |
