Children's Council General Meeting (in-person)

September 9, 2026 | 8:30 - 10:30am

Skagit County Public Health: 301 Valley Mall Way, Suite 110, Chinook Room

Spotlight Topic: Children's Council Strategic Plan - Year Two Update and the Year Ahead

All are welcome!

Participants will be invited to share organizational updates during the meeting.

Feel free to bring brochures/flyers to share.

Member Spotlight: Marnie Willard

Marnina Willard

Help Me Grow Skagit AmeriCorps VISTA

United General District 304

Marnie Willard has recently joined United General District 304 as the Help Me Grow Skagit AmeriCorps VISTA associate. She will be with us for one year and focus on enhancing our Help Me Grow Skagit system's infrastructure.

Marnie is a Camano Island native who spent years in Rexburg, ID; Fresno, CA; and Albuquerque, NM before finally making her way back home. She now lives in Mount Vernon with her husband, Eric, and their cat, Turnip.

Marnie has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and she plays several instruments, with piano being her main. Before returning to Washington, she was the principal accompanist for the New Mexico Women’s Chorus. In her free time, she enjoys baking, sewing, gaming, and watching movies.

She joined AmeriCorps to use her skills, creativity, and love of community to help people feel connected and supported.

Children's Council Annual Report

The Children's Council Strategic Plan was unveiled in June 2024. With two years under our belt, we have accomplished quite a bit and we are excited about where we go from here. Our year two update report will be shared at the upcoming Children's Council meeting and will be available on our website soon!

Thank you to all who have contributed to the work over this past year. The plan is an ambitious one, and we are so proud to have partners helping us stay focused on making a better community for children and families in Skagit County!

Skagit Dads Connect

Skagit Dads Connect is launching the first program series in October! Before the launch, the team is inviting dads and community members to join them for a Backyard BBQ and Open House. The first one happened in August and was a great success! There are two more planned, one on September 10th in Sedro-Woolley and the other on September 23rd in Concrete.

Classes & Social Connections

The Help Me Grow Skagit website has a page for classes and social connections for families. There are sections for special events, classes, groups, and library story times. One of the programs listed there is the upcoming Bringing Baby Home class for expectant parents. The class runs for five weeks from October 15th through November 12th on Thursdays from 5:00 - 8:30pm and helps couples prepare their relationship for becoming parents.

To learn more about this program and other programs that support families, visit HelpMeGrowSkagit.com/class-connect

Family Palooza & Full STEAM Ahead!

We are excited to partner with the Children's Museum's Full STEAM Ahead event again on November 8th from 10am -2pm. This year's theme is farming/agriculture!

If you are interested in hosting a resource table, please complete the registration form.

Questions? Contact Liz Cooksey, Family & Community Outreach Lead

Pop Quiz!

If you are working with a parent who is looking for resources to help with childcare, transportation, and cleaning supplies, where could you send them for support for all three of those things (and more!)?

The Help Me Grow Skagit Fund at the Skagit Community Foundation was created to ensure the long-term vitality of this coordinated system of support. The fund provides a charitable pathway for community members, donors, and partners to invest in the ongoing work of the Children’s Council and Help Me Grow Skagit: supporting collaboration, resource navigation, and early-childhood services across the county.

Contributions to the fund help sustain local coordination, strengthen partnerships across agencies, and expand the accessibility of the support network available to young children and their families.

Thank you Skagit Community Foundation!