Help Me Grow Skagit Family Resource Center: A Community Collaboration to Support Families with Young Children

In Skagit County, the community cares deeply about the health and wellbeing of families with young children. The early years are full of a variety of joys and stresses, and no one should have to navigate parenthood without healthy supports. Skagit County has many wonderful offerings for families, yet all-too-often, families share that they didn’t know that support was available at the time when they needed it. The county aspires for all parents and caregivers to be able to easily find what they need, when they need it, in the way that they need it.

The initial establishment of the Help Me Grow Skagit Family Resource Center (the Center), with CARES Act funding from Skagit County, has allowed the community to begin to meet the needs of families with young children, including pre-birth. The Center is based at and operated by the Children’s Museum of Skagit County, which is safe, trusted and accessible for Skagit families. Operations began in October, 2020, in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This project is ultimately a part of the Children’s Council of Skagit County—one of the five local early learning coalitions part of Northwest Early Learning Coalition—and supported by many of the key people, organizations, and initiatives within the framework of Help Me Grow Skagit.

 

Community impact

The Family Resource Center provides reliable local information, referrals to services, and application assistance for public programs. A screening form is used to determine/document need. The Center provides basic needs items including Personal Protective Equipment, cleaning supplies, diapers, wipes, and formula. They also distribute safe sleep items and car seats. In addition to providing direct supplies and services, the Center aims to connect families to other sources of basic needs and supports for which they may qualify.

The Resource Center has distributed over 200,000 diapers and wipes since 2020.

Parents and caregivers face a host of challenges, especially with the impacts of the pandemic. In an effort to alleviate some of the burden, the Resource Center also creates and distributes activity kits and books to families. The hope is that these items will promote early learning, and help to occupy young children in positive ways if their parents are struggling to care for them while working from home, or assisting older children with virtual education. Every family that the Center serves receives a “Care” package filled with items such as hand sanitizer, toothbrushes and toothpaste, bubbles, resource lists and information, tissues, Vroom parenting tips and prompts.

Help Me Grow Skagit Family Resource Center staff gather in the storage warehouse. The Center provides provides many supports for families including cleaning supplies, diapers, wipes, and formula.

To date, the Center has served thousands of families in Skagit County through direct distributions and a partnership with the Diaper Bank of Skagit County and grant funds from United General District 304. They have distributed over 200,000 diapers and wipes since 2020. Local partnerships have been critical. The Center collaborates with local agencies and health care providers, such as WIC, Skagit Valley Hospital, Welcome Baby and Public Health to create a synergistic system.

The Resource Center’s efforts help illuminate the assets and needs in the community. The Center provides valuable, real-time data about local needs and the community’s ability to meet those needs. Ultimately, this will also create efficiencies in the use of local resources and will streamline assistance for families.

 

Current and Longer-Term Goals

The county is building Help Me Grow Skagit—where community organizations work together to make sure that all Skagit families can learn about the many services and supports available to them along their parenting journeys. In 2021, a Skagit Family Resource Navigator was added to the Help Me Grow team with funding provided by Within Reach. This Skagit County-based specialist is available to guide parents and caregivers to the resources they need, serving as a central access point to connect families to community, regional, and statewide services and resources.

Whether parents are looking for connections with other parents, opportunities for fun and educational activities for their family, information about their child’s development, or help applying for services, Help Me Grow Skagit will be able to help in many ways! Here are some of the ways Help Me Grow Skagit can connect families to the support they want and need:

  • Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Support: Pregnancy Connections nurse, WIC, Maternity Support Services, Welcome Baby, parent groups

  • Basic Needs assistance: organizations that provide help with food, shelter, utilities, diapers

  • Child Care/Early Learning: child care and preschool options, play and learn groups, library story times, Kindergarten registration and more

  • Family Fun: activities and events

  • Family Support: parent coaches, support groups, warm lines, home visiting programs

  • Health and Wellness: free/low cost health care, dental care, family planning, mental health services and supports, recovery services

  • Special Needs: services and supports for families of children with health and developmental concerns

 

How to connect with the Help Me Grow Skagit Family Resource Center

 

Zach Sokolik