Children's Museum of Skagit County

The Children's Museum of Skagit County (CMSC) was just reopened during our FY 2022-2023, having reopened on June 2, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a typical year, the facility has an average annual attendance of 65,000, in our 15,400 square foot facility. The museum serves all children and families, with a target age of birth to 10-12 years of age. There were new programs that were implemented during this year. We started Sensory Time at the CMSC, with sessions held two days per month. Masked Up Monday Mornings was another new program, providing access for medically fragile children and families. We also launched a special Dad's Session which is held monthly. Our scholarship program has also continued to assist children by providing birthday parties delivered to families, and activity kits have been distributed to hundreds of children. We were able to conduct more special events in person, while still providing kits to go for anyone who needed.

In October of 2020 we launched the Help Me Grow Skagit Family Resource Center (HMGSFRC), initially with Cares Act funding through Skagit County. The HMGS Family Resource Center provides basic needs for families, along with books and educational activities for infants and children. In addition to the distribution of items, the HMGS FRC connects families to the supports that they need, including other programs and resources. Basic needs items include diapers, wipes, safe sleep items for infants, car seats, cleaning, and laundry supplies.There are two car seat safety technicians on our team, so that we can safely install car seats that are distributed.

The Museum Explorers Preschool program continued to operate throughout the years, even during the museum closure. We operated in a virtual, and then a hybrid manner. This vital program continued to serve children with a variety of ways, with outdoor education, curriculum deliveries and online support.