Greater Seattle Area Family Resources

A free, plain-language guide to parenting around the Puget Sound, from your first prenatal appointment to college drop-off.

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Get Help Now

Free, confidential support and crisis lines, answered by real people across Washington.

You can talk to someone right now

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988, 24/7, for any mental-health crisis (kids, teens, and adults).
  • Help Me Grow Washington Hotline, 1-800-322-2588. Family Resource Navigators help you find food, health, child-development, and pregnancy support.
  • Parent Trust Family Help Line, 1-800-932-4673 (1-800-932-HOPE). Live parenting coaches, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; recorded resource line 24/7.
  • Perinatal Support Washington Warm Line, 1-888-404-7763. Support for pregnancy, postpartum mood changes, and loss. Se habla español.
  • WA Mental Health Referral Service for Children & Teens, connects families with providers who accept your insurance (children 17 and under; teens 13–17 may call for themselves).
Stage 1 · Pregnancy & Birth

Prenatal & Pregnancy

Prenatal care, classes, doulas, supplies, and emotional support, much of it free or billed to Apple Health.

Help Me Grow Washington, Pregnancy + Birth

It is the hand that reaches first, drawing you toward prenatal care and pregnancy supplies, toward childbirth classes and WIC and the steadying of the mind; and through the ParentHelp123 Resource Finder you may search out, community by community, whatever your own corner holds.

helpmegrowwa.org/pregnancy-birth1-800-322-2588

Perinatal Support Washington

A warm line and the company of others who have gone before, online therapy, and a searchable roll of doulas and therapists and lactation consultants, kept for the whole long reproductive season, conception to afterward.

perinatalsupport.org/for-parents1-888-404-7763

King County First Steps & Family Ways

Public-health nurses and nutritionists and social workers tend the pregnancy and the first years that come after it; the Nurse-Family Partnership sets a nurse beside the first-time parent and will not leave; it bills Apple Health, and asks nothing of you.

kingcounty.gov → Family Ways(206) 477-6950

Parent Trust for Washington Children

Classes for the new parent and the seasoned alike, pregnancy, childbirth, the keeping of a baby, and, threaded through all of it, the statewide Family Help Line that is always there to be called.

parenttrust.org1-800-932-4673

Step By Step Family Support Center

It comes to you, into the house itself, for families on Apple Health across King and the counties near it, nurses and counselors and dietitians, the baby's necessaries, and a mentor to walk the parent through.

stepbystepfamily.org/programs(253) 896-0903

WithinReach / ParentHelp123

It helps a Washington family lay claim to what is theirs, WIC, Apple Health, the food benefits, and through the ParentHelp123 Resource Finder binds them to the services nearest home.

withinreachwa.org(206) 284-2465
Stage 2 · Birth to Age 5

Baby & Toddler

Playgroups, story times, screenings, and child-care help for the baby and toddler years.

Denise Louie, Kaleidoscope Play & Learn

Free drop-in play groups for the very young (birth–age 5): the loose hour of play, the circle time, the counsel for the grown; held in the libraries at Rainier Beach and Lake City, Northgate and Columbia City, and asking no enrollment of anyone.

deniselouie.org/services/play-learn

Help Me Grow, Child Development

Free screenings of how the child comes along, and a bilingual milestone height chart (2 months–5 years); and should some worry take hold of you, the navigators will carry you onward to early-intervention.

helpmegrowwa.org1-800-322-2588

Parent Trust Family Help Line

Living voices for the daily riddles and griefs of it, the sleep that will not come, the tantrum, the broken routine, and referrals onward to classes and groups and doings, across the whole of Washington's thirty-nine counties.

parenttrust.org/for-families/call-fhl1-800-932-4673

Seattle Children's Museum

Hands set to play, a daily story hour, the creative corner and the silly science, all of it at Seattle Center; open Wed–Mon, 10am–5pm.

seattlechildrensmuseum.org

Seattle Public Library, Free Museum Passes

A free library card is the whole of the price; with it you may reserve passage into Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, MoPOP, the Pacific Science Center and more, one pass to the week, the children frequently free.

spl.libcal.com/passes

ParentMap, Baby & Toddler Advice

The local word on infant sleep and feeding, on milestones and the long rainy-day play, and the surest calendar of family doings in the region (see the Events below).

parentmap.com

Eastgate Cooperative Preschool

A parent-participation co-op in Bellevue, its play-based classes running from the toddler (ages 1–2) clean through Pre-K, with monthly parent-education besides; the tuition kept low for the plain reason that the families themselves work the room.

eastgatecooperativepreschool.org

Issaquah Cooperative Preschool

An Issaquah co-op with second-year toddler classes and the 3s and the 4s/Pre-K beside them; play-based, and carrying within it a ready-made community of parents and the monthly parent-education.

issaquahcooppreschool.com

Alpine Cooperative Preschool

A Snoqualmie Valley co-op, its toddler classes giving onto preschool; hands-on and play-based, the parent learning there in the room, right alongside the child.

alpinecooppreschool.wordpress.com

Pine Lake Cooperative Preschool (Sammamish)

Sammamish's Pine Lake co-op: play-based preschool with the parents at work in it and the monthly parent-education, one strand of the Bellevue College co-op network.

pinelakecoop.org

Bellevue College Co-op Preschools

The parent-education program standing behind these Eastside co-ops; here are the toddler-through-Pre-K classes, the locations, the registrars, and, in several cities, the infant and toddler-only options besides.

bellevuecollege.edu/parented

Imagination Library of Washington

Good books, free, arriving by mail month upon month to enrolled Washington children, from birth to the age of five.

imaginationlibrarywashington.org

Reach Out and Read

An early-literacy work that presses a book, and a word of counsel, into your hands at the child's own pediatric checkups.

reachoutandread.org
Finding Care · Infants to Pre-K

Childcare & Preschool

Help finding child care you trust and the subsidies that make it affordable, including preschool that's free for many families.

Child Care Aware of Washington

Free referral specialists who help you find the licensed care that suits your particular family, and reckon whether the financial help is yours to claim; call the Family Center, and begin.

childcareawarewa.org1-800-446-1114

Working Connections Child Care (WCCC)

Washington's child-care subsidy: the working or studying family that qualifies pays only a small monthly copay (and sometimes nothing at all), while the state takes up all the rest; apply at WashingtonConnection.org.

dcyf.wa.gov → WCCC844-626-8687

Seattle Preschool Program (SPP)

High-quality preschool for the Seattle 3- and 4-year-old, priced upon a sliding scale, most families qualifying for free tuition, near $12,000/yr in worth, with dual-language and inclusive classrooms to be had.

seattle.gov → Seattle Preschool Program(206) 386-1050

Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy

A King County subsidy, kept by BrightSpark, that brings child care within the reach of more families, walking often beside WCCC or following after it; the staff will lead you through the eligibility of it.

brightspark.org(206) 208-6865
All Abilities · Birth to 21

Special Needs & Early Intervention

Free early-intervention and disability support for kids of every ability, with no doctor's referral needed.

Early Support for Infants & Toddlers (ESIT)

Washington's free birth-to-3 early-intervention, speech and occupational and physical therapy, and the coaching of the whole family, brought to the home or into the community; near one child in eight is found to qualify.

dcyf.wa.gov → ESIT

King County ESIT & Developmental Bridge

Make the ESIT referral and find the nearby provider through King County's Resource Access Team; and the Seattle Developmental Bridge bears up the child from birth–4, at no cost, within the city limits of Seattle.

kingcounty.gov → ESIT(206) 204-3536

Kindering

An Eastside nonprofit giving free developmental evaluations and therapies and family support to children of every ability (Bellevue, Bothell, Redmond, Renton); and no doctor's referral is asked of you to begin.

kindering.org(425) 747-4004

School-Age Special Education

Once the child has turned three, it falls to your school district to furnish the special-education services and the IEP; begin with Seattle Public Schools, or with your own district, and request the evaluation.

seattleschools.org

Washington 211 (Crisis Connections)

Free pilotage through the whole tangle of it, disability, health, housing, the family services, across King County, with interpretation in better than 150 languages; dial 2-1-1, and a community resource specialist will answer.

Call 2-1-1

PAVE

Washington's Parent Training & Information Center, free help to the family through the IEP and the long thickets of special education.

wapave.org800-572-7368

Open Doors for Multicultural Families

Disability support that answers each family in its own culture, across the many peoples of King County.

opendoorswa.org253-216-4479

Encompass

Early intervention and pediatric therapy for children, out in the Snoqualmie Valley and across the Eastside.

encompassnw.org425-888-3347

Boyer Children's Clinic

Seattle's largest house of birth-to-three early intervention and therapy.

boyercc.org206-325-8477

Wonderland Child & Family Services

Early intervention in north King County for the child whose growing has come slow.

wonderlandkids.org206-364-3777

Special Olympics Washington

Year-round sport, and a place kept in it for everyone, for the young of intellectual disability.

specialolympicswashington.org206-362-4949

The Arc of King County

Family support, and an advocate's voice, in the matter of developmental and intellectual disability.

arcofkingcounty.org206-364-6337

Informing Families

Washington's gathering-place of word and resource for the family making its slow way through the disability supports.

informingfamilies.org
Stage 3 · Kindergarten to Grade 12

School Age (K–12)

Enrollment, school choice, and after-school support for the elementary and middle-school years.

Seattle Public Schools, Enrollment

Find your neighborhood school by the address-lookup, learn the option schools, and lay your application in the Open Enrollment / School Choice window that opens each January.

seattleschools.org/enroll

Seattle Public Library

Free help with the homework, the summer reading (the Summer Book Bingo), the maker spaces and the museum passes; and every K–12 student is owed a library card of their own.

spl.org

Parent Trust, Classes & Support

Parenting classes and support groups, and referrals besides, the IEP, the parenting plan, for the school-age years.

parenttrust.org1-800-932-4673

Seattle's Child

The local parenting news, and a searchable calendar of camps and classes and sports and festivals you may sift by the child's age and your own neighborhood.

seattleschild.com

WA School Counselor Association

A gathering of family resources: the Teen Health Hub, the High School & Beyond Plan, the mental-health referrals, and the programs that teach a child its own safety.

waschoolcounselor.org

Hopelink

The supports that hold a family steady across King County, food, the schooling in money, the one-to-one help that keeps a child fit to learn.

hopelink.org
Stage 4 · Teens & College Prep

Teens & College

Mental-health support, the High School & Beyond Plan, and free help with FAFSA and WASFA.

WASFA, WA State Financial Aid

The state-aid application for the student who cannot, or will not, file a FAFSA, the undocumented among them, and the key to the Washington College Grant and the College Bound Scholarship.

wsac.wa.gov/wasfa888-535-0747

Seattle Colleges, FAFSA or WASFA?

A plain setting of the two applications side by side, with free virtual workshops and the Funding Navigator to sit with you; submit the one only, never the both.

seattlecolleges.edu

FuturesNW

Free one-to-one labor over the FAFSA and the WASFA, a step-by-step Padlet, and gatherings near home, with a particular care taken for the mixed-status family.

futuresnw.org/fafsawasfa

Teen Health Hub & HS & Beyond Plan

A vetted roll of youth-kindly behavioral-health and primary-care resources, and the High School & Beyond Plan that lays the classes down against the far goals of career and college.

waschoolcounselor.org

FAFSA, Federal Student Aid

The free federal application for the grants and the work-study and the loans; make an FSA ID at StudentAid.gov, for most families do best to file the FAFSA and leave no aid upon the table.

studentaid.gov

Mental-Health Support for Teens

For the teen in the grip of crisis, call or text 988, at any hour there is; and the WA Mental Health Referral Service will match the young (17 and under) to providers who will take your insurance.

988, call or text
For You · Every Stage

Parent Support & Community

Groups, coaches, and warm lines that connect you with other parents and trained support, at every age.

PEPS, Program for Early Parent Support

Seattle's own peer-support groups, set to the child's season, the expecting, the newborn, the 5–12 months, the teens, and groups besides for the working mother, the single parent, the LGBTQIA+ family; the price made flexible, and assistance to be had.

peps.org(206) 547-8570

Parent Trust Family Help Line

Talk the whole trouble through with a living coach, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, and be sent onward to classes and groups across the state; it is free, and a recorded resource line keeps its watch 24/7.

parenttrust.org1-800-932-4673

Perinatal Support WA, Support Groups

Welcoming circles for the pregnancy and the long postpartum year, with a warm line and online therapy for the shifting mood, the anxiety, the loss; easy, without judgment, y se habla español.

perinatalsupport.org1-888-404-7763

Help Me Grow Navigators

Uncertain which way to turn? The Family Resource Navigators hear out what your family wants and bind you to the right help near home, and often in the one call.

helpmegrowwa.org1-800-322-2588
Essentials · Every Stage

Food & Basic Needs

Diapers, formula, food, and benefits help, so no kid goes without.

WestSide Baby

King County's diaper bank, free diapers and clothing, car seats and gear, sent out through more than a hundred partner agencies; you reach it by way of a case worker, a food bank, or a public-health nurse.

westsidebaby.org206-767-1662

WIC (via WithinReach)

WIC lays down monthly food benefits, nutrition counsel, and breastfeeding support for the pregnant and for children under five; WithinReach and the ParentHelp123 finder help you make the claim.

withinreachwa.org(206) 284-2465

Washington Connection, SNAP & Benefits

Apply in the one place, online, for SNAP and cash assistance and the other state programs; many a family with children is found to qualify.

washingtonconnection.org844-626-8687

Local Food Banks & WA 211

Find the food bank nearest you, and the help for rent and utility and bare necessity besides, by dialing 2-1-1 (Crisis Connections), free, and answered in better than 150 languages.

Call 2-1-1

KidVantage (formerly Eastside Baby Corner)

Free diapers and clothing and gear for the families of the Eastside, kept out of Issaquah.

kidvantagenw.org425-865-0234

Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank

Free food and clothing and diapers for the families of the Issaquah country.

issaquahfoodbank.org425-392-4123

Salvation Army Renton Food Bank

Emergency food, and the baby's supplies, for the families of Renton.

renton.salvationarmy.org425-255-5969

Neighborhood Farmers Markets

The Seattle markets match your SNAP/EBT dollar for dollar, that a food budget might be made to stretch the further.

seattlefarmersmarkets.org

Seattle Fresh Bucks

Monthly produce vouchers for the income-eligible Seattle family, good at the markets and the grocers alike.

seattlefreshbucks.org

WA SNAP Market Match

A statewide matching of produce for the SNAP/EBT shopper, at more than a hundred farmers markets.

doh.wa.gov

Bellevue Farmers Market

The Thursday market in Bellevue, SNAP Market Match and all, kept for families.

bellevuefarmersmarket.org

Renton Farmers Market

The Tuesday market in Renton (June–September), with doings for the family and EBT honored.

rentonfarmersmarket.com

Kirkland Wednesday Market

The Wednesday waterfront market in Kirkland, where SNAP Market Match and WIC are taken.

kirklanddowntown.org
Health · Every Stage

Health & Medical

Clinics that see families regardless of ability to pay, plus kids' insurance, vaccines, breastfeeding help, and poison control.

Neighborcare Health

Sliding-fee medical and dental, pediatric and mental-health care, at clinics scattered across the greater part of Seattle.

neighborcare.org206-633-3350

HealthPoint

Nonprofit community health centers tending the whole family across King County, and turning none away for want of means.

healthpointchc.org866-893-5717

Country Doctor Community Health

Sliding-scale primary and pediatric and behavioral care; the uninsured taken in, and Apple Health honored.

countrydoctor.org206-299-1600

Seattle Children's Hospital

A pediatric hospital and its specialties, for the children and the teens of the whole region.

seattlechildrens.org206-987-2000

WA Mental Health Referral Service (Kids & Teens)

A free service that matches the child of seventeen and under to nearby mental-health providers who will take your insurance.

seattlechildrens.org833-303-5437

Apple Health for Kids

Free or low-cost Medicaid coverage, medical, dental, and vision, for the eligible children of Washington.

hca.wa.gov800-562-3022

Washington Healthplanfinder

The official marketplace, where one applies for Apple Health or buys the subsidized family plan.

wahealthplanfinder.org855-923-4633

WA DOH Immunizations

The childhood vaccine schedules, the school requirements, and Washington's free childhood vaccine program, all set down.

doh.wa.gov

WithinReach ImmunityCommunity

Plain-spoken word on immunization, the tools and the resources, for the Washington parent.

immunitycommunitywa.org

Nursing Mothers Counsel

Free lactation counsel, a warmline, classes, and the breast-pump to rent at little cost.

nursingmothers.org

La Leche League of Washington

Free peer support in the breastfeeding and chestfeeding of a child, through local groups and trained volunteer leaders.

lllwa.org

Washington Poison Center

Free and confidential help, kept 24/7, against poisonings and overdoses and the toxic thing swallowed.

wapc.org1-800-222-1222

Overlake Medical Center, Childbirth

A Bellevue childbirth center, its Level III NICU and its parenting classes.

overlakehospital.org425-688-5000

EvergreenHealth, Pregnancy & Birth

Kirkland's Family Maternity Center, for the pregnancy and the birth and the newborn's first keeping.

evergreenhealth.com425-899-1000

Valley Medical Center, Birth Center

Renton's birth center and its neonatal ICU, for the growing family.

valleymed.org425-690-3590

Swedish, Pregnancy & Childbirth

Seattle maternity and childbirth care, spread across Western Washington.

swedish.org833-923-3555

Seattle Children's, Bellevue Clinic

An Eastside pediatric specialty clinic, surgery and urgent care, in Bellevue.

seattlechildrens.org425-454-4644
Safety · Every Stage

Family Safety & Crisis

Car-seat checks, domestic-violence support, shelter, free legal aid, and how to report concerns about a child's safety.

WA Car Seats, Inspection Stations

A statewide map of the car-seat inspection stations and the certified hands that will fit one, free.

wacarseats.com

Seattle Children's Car Seat Checks

Free car-seat safety checks, at Seattle and Bellevue and Federal Way.

seattlechildrens.org206-477-8664

DAWN, Domestic Abuse Women's Network

A support line kept around the clock, with shelter and legal and immigration advocacy, for the survivors of King County.

dawnrising.org425-656-7867

The NW Network

Advocacy and counsel and support for LGBTQ survivors of abuse, and for the families that hold them.

nwnetwork.org206-568-7777

Mary's Place

Emergency shelter, and what a family needs, for those gone without a home in King County.

marysplaceseattle.org206-245-1026

Crisis Connections / 211

Referrals for food and housing, for rent and utility, and the steadying word in crisis, across King County.

crisisconnections.orgCall 2-1-1

Report Child Abuse (WA DCYF)

Report the suspected abuse or neglect of a child; the King County intake line is 1-800-609-8764.

dcyf.wa.gov866-363-4276

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline

Confidential counsel kept around the clock, crisis intervention, and guidance in the reporting of child abuse.

childhelphotline.org800-422-4453

Northwest Justice Project (CLEAR)

Free civil legal aid for the low-income family; in King County, call 2-1-1 to be taken in.

nwjustice.org1-888-201-1014

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

Free and low-cost immigration legal services, the VAWA and the U-visa among them.

nwirp.org206-587-4009

LifeWire

Domestic-violence support, shelter, and advocacy for survivors of the Eastside (Bellevue/Kirkland).

lifewire.org425-562-8840
Learning · Pre-K to Grade 12

Learning & Enrichment

Libraries, camps, scouting, arts, STEM, gifted programs, and homeschool support beyond the classroom.

King County Library System (KCLS)

Free books and e-books, help with the homework, story times and events, at branches all across King County.

kcls.org425-369-3200

ParentMap Camps & Classes Guide

An editor's curated guide to the Seattle-area summer camps, the day camps, the enrichment classes.

parentmap.com/camps-and-classes

Girl Scouts of Western Washington

Troops and badges, camps and the schooling in leadership, for the girls of Western Washington.

girlscoutsww.org800-541-9852

Scouts BSA, Chief Seattle Council

Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA troops, and the summer camps, throughout the Seattle region.

scoutingseattle.org206-725-5200

SPS Highly Capable / Advanced Learning

The finding-out of the gifted and highly-capable, and the services owed them, in Seattle Public Schools.

seattleschools.org

Washington Homeschool Organization

A statewide nonprofit holding the homeschool law's guidance, the curriculum, and the support of families.

washhomeschool.org

Pacific Science Center, Education

STEM camps and field trips, and Science on Wheels carried out to the curious child.

pacificsciencecenter.org206-443-2925

The Creative Advantage

A citywide partnership set to see that no Seattle Public Schools student goes without arts education.

creativeadvantageseattle.org

Seattle Public Library, Events & Author Talks

Thousands of free programs in a year, the author talks, the STEM and maker workshops, the story times, and Seattle Reads.

spl.org

King County Library System, Events

Free author events and story times, STEM programs and homework help, across the King County branches (Bellevue, Kirkland, Renton, Issaquah).

kcls.org
Youth · Ages 6–24

Youth Programs & Mentoring

Mentoring, clubs, first jobs, and confidential teen support lines for older kids.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound

One-to-one mentoring, the young matched to the steadying elder, across King and the counties about it.

inspirebig.org206-763-9060

Seattle Youth Employment Program

Paid internships and the training in a trade, for the young of sixteen to twenty-four (16–24).

seattle.gov → SYEP

YMCA of Greater Seattle

Camps and swim lessons, sport and child care and the youth programs, region-wide.

seattleymca.org206-382-5004

Boys & Girls Clubs of King County

After-school clubs, the teen's first job, and the readying for college and career.

positiveplace.org206-436-1843

Teen Link

A free and confidential teen-to-teen line for any trouble there is, answered, fittingly, by trained teens.

teenlink.org866-833-6546

Washington Recovery Help Line

Support kept around the clock, and referrals, for substance use and problem gambling and the troubled mind.

warecoveryhelpline.org866-789-1511

Youth Eastside Services (YES)

Youth mental-health counseling and substance-use treatment, out of Bellevue and across the Eastside.

youtheastsideservices.org425-747-4937

Friends of Youth

Youth and family services, shelter, and behavioral health, kept in Kirkland and across the Eastside.

friendsofyouth.org425-869-6490

Akin (Renton-area family services)

Counseling and well-being for the child and the family (the same once called Childhaven, and RAYS).

akinfamily.org425-271-5600
Community · Every Stage

Culturally-Specific & Multilingual

Organizations that serve families in their own language and culture, rooted in Seattle's neighborhoods.

El Centro de la Raza

A hub of better than forty programs for the Latino/a child, the youth, the family.

elcentrodelaraza.org206-957-4634

Chinese Information & Service Center (CISC)

Multilingual services for the family and the youth and the elder, kept for Asian immigrant families.

cisc-seattle.org206-624-5633

East African Community Services

Youth and family programs for the East African refugee and immigrant family.

eastafricancs.org206-721-1119

Seattle Indian Health Board

Health and family services rooted in culture, for the urban Native family.

sihb.org206-324-9360

International Rescue Committee, Seattle

Resettlement, and the support of the family, for the refugee and immigrant of the Seattle country.

rescue.org206-623-2105

Open Arms Perinatal Services

Free doulas matched to your own culture, and lactation support, for the birthing family.

openarmsps.org206-723-6868

Indian American Community Services

Multicultural family programs, and care in crisis, for the Indian American family (Bellevue).

iacswa.org425-615-7270

Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)

Multilingual counseling, family, and basic-needs services for Asian and Pacific Islander communities across King County.

acrs.org(206) 695-7600
Community · Every Stage

Family Types & Communities

Support for foster, kinship, and adoptive families, LGBTQ+ families, military families, grandparents raising grandkids, and parents of twins.

Amara

Training and licensing and the long support that comes after, for the foster and kinship and adoptive family.

amarafamily.org206-260-1700

Treehouse

The educational and the essential, both, for the child and youth held in foster care.

treehouseforkids.org206-767-7000

WA Kinship Care

Kinship Navigators to help the grandparent, and the kin come round again to raising, find what they need.

dshs.wa.gov → Kinship Care

Lambert House

A drop-in community house that lends its strength to LGBTQ+ youth, ages 10–22.

lamberthouse.org206-322-2515

PFLAG Seattle

Peer support, and what is needed, for the families and friends of LGBTQ+ people.

pflagseattle.org206-325-7724

Military OneSource

Free support kept around the clock, counsel and resource, for the military family.

militaryonesource.mil800-342-9647

Seattle Families of Multiples

Community, the sale of outgrown gear, and resource, for the greater-Seattle family of twins and multiples.

seattlemultiples.org
Practical · Every Stage

Money & Practical Help

Free tax help and credits, tax-free college savings, free transit for kids, and a neighborly way to pass along outgrown gear.

United Way, Free Tax Prep

Free tax filing, and help with the Child Tax Credit and the EITC, for the low- and moderate-income family.

uwkc.org206-461-3700

WA529 College Savings (GET & Invest)

The state 529 plans, by which one lays by, untaxed, against the child's far education.

wastate529.wa.gov800-955-2318

Youth Ride Free (ORCA)

Free passage on the transit for every rider of eighteen and under, across the Puget Sound.

info.myorca.com

Buy Nothing Project

The hyperlocal gift economy, where a child's clothes and gear and toys pass free from neighbor to neighbor.

buynothingproject.org
Local Government · Eastside & South County

By City, Parks, Rec & School Districts

City parks programs and school-district enrollment for Bellevue, Kirkland, Renton, and Issaquah, all served by the King County Library System.

Bellevue Parks & Community Services

Recreation and camps, preschool and youth sport, at the community centers across Bellevue.

bellevuewa.gov425-452-6885

Kirkland Parks & Community Services

Preschool and camps, dance and the youth doings, at the community centers and the KTUB teen center.

kirklandwa.gov425-587-3330

Renton Parks & Recreation

Preschool and youth classes, camps and the swimming, at the Renton Community Center.

rentonwa.gov425-430-6700

Issaquah Parks & Community Services

Community-center classes, the swimming, the day camps and preschool, kept for families.

issaquahwa.gov425-837-3300

Bellevue School District

Enrollment by way of ParentVUE, the preschool and the before- and after-school care among the choices.

bsd405.org/enroll

Lake Washington School District

Serving Kirkland and Redmond, the new-student and kindergarten registration set out for families.

lwsd.org425-936-1200

Renton School District

Online enrollment, the documents it asks of you, and guidance through kindergarten registration.

rentonschools.us425-204-2333

Issaquah School District

Online new-student enrollment, the open-enrollment transfers, and kindergarten registration.

isd411.org

Partner Organizations, Quick Directory

Type a word, a name, a topic, an age, and the list narrows to match.

OrganizationWhat they help withStageContact
Help Me Grow WashingtonResource navigation: prenatal care, food, child developmentPrenatal–Age 51-800-322-2588 · helpmegrowwa.org
Perinatal Support WashingtonPregnancy & postpartum mental health, doulas, loss supportPrenatal–Postpartum1-888-404-7763 · perinatalsupport.org
King County First Steps / Family WaysMaternity support, nurse home visits (Apple Health)Prenatal–Age 5(206) 477-6950 · kingcounty.gov
Step By Step Family Support CenterIn-home pregnancy & infant support, baby itemsPrenatal–Infant(253) 896-0903 · stepbystepfamily.org
Parent Trust for Washington ChildrenParenting classes & Family Help Line (all ages)All stages1-800-932-4673 · parenttrust.org
WithinReach / ParentHelp123WIC, Apple Health, food benefits enrollmentPrenatal–Age 5(206) 284-2465 · withinreachwa.org
Denise Louie Education CenterFree Play & Learn groups, early learningBirth–Age 5deniselouie.org
Seattle Public LibraryStory times, homework help, free museum passesAll stagesspl.org
Seattle Public SchoolsK–12 enrollment & school choiceK–12seattleschools.org/enroll
WA School Counselor AssociationTeen Health Hub, HS & Beyond Plan, referralsTeenswaschoolcounselor.org
WSAC (WASFA)State financial aid & scholarshipsCollege prep888-535-0747 · wsac.wa.gov/wasfa
FuturesNWFree 1-on-1 FAFSA / WASFA helpCollege prepfuturesnw.org
HopelinkFood, financial education, family stabilityAll stageshopelink.org
ParentMapParenting advice & family-fun calendarAll stagesparentmap.com
Seattle's ChildLocal news & kids' event calendarAll stagesseattleschild.com
PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support)Peer parent-support groups, every stagePrenatal–Teens(206) 547-8570 · peps.org
Child Care Aware of WashingtonFind child care & subsidy helpInfants–Pre-K1-800-446-1114 · childcareawarewa.org
Working Connections Child Care (DCYF)State child-care subsidyInfants–12844-626-8687 · dcyf.wa.gov
Seattle Preschool ProgramFree / low-cost preschool (sliding scale)Ages 3–4(206) 386-1050 · seattle.gov
Bellevue College Co-op PreschoolsParent-participation toddler–Pre-K classesToddler–Pre-Kbellevuecollege.edu/parented
Early Support for Infants & Toddlers (ESIT)Free birth-to-3 early interventionBirth–Age 3King County (206) 204-3536 · dcyf.wa.gov
KinderingDevelopmental evaluations & therapiesBirth–10(425) 747-4004 · kindering.org
WestSide BabyDiapers, clothing, car seats, gearBirth–Age 5+206-767-1662 · westsidebaby.org
Washington 211 (Crisis Connections)Navigation: food, housing, disability helpAll stagesCall 2-1-1

Family Event Calendar

A snapshot of family events around Seattle, good as of June 2026.

EventWhenWhereCost
Summer Book Bingo for Youth & AdultsJun 9 – Sep 8, 2026All Seattle Public LibrariesFree
Seattle Spray Parks OpenJun 9 – Sep 7, 2026Multiple locationsFree
Story & Play Time, Creative Corner, Silly ScienceDaily (Wed–Mon)Seattle Children's Museum, Seattle CenterWith admission
Lego Artemis AdventureThrough summer 2026Pacific Science Center, SeattleWith admission
The Beautiful Game: How Soccer Connects Us AllJun 9 – Sep 7, 2026MOHAI, SeattleWith admission
Moomins' Sea AdventuresMar 28 – Sep 6, 2026National Nordic Museum, SeattleWith admission
Visit Kelsey Creek FarmDaily, 9am–3pmKelsey Creek Farm, BellevueFree
Baby Animals & Berries Strawberry FestivalJun 6 – 28, 2026Swans Trail Farms, SnohomishFee
Family Open GymMondays & Tuesdays, 2:30–4pmMontlake Community Center, SeattleLow cost
Shoreline Indoor Playground Drop-InMon / Wed / Fri, 10am–noonShoreline Spartan Recreation CenterLow cost
Summer of Soccer (Seattle Parks & Rec)Summer 2026Seattle ParksFree
SCMS "Concert Truck" Free ConcertsJun 18 – Jul 6, 2026Parks & markets region-wide (incl. Bellevue, Renton)Free
Kirkland Summer Concerts (Marina Park)Jul 9 – Sep 3, 2026 (Thu eve)Marina Park, KirklandFree
Downtown Bellevue "Live at Lunch"Jul 7 – Sep 11, 2026Downtown BellevueFree
Seattle Symphony Free Community ConcertsThroughout 2025–26 seasonVenues region-wide (incl. Renton)Free

Live calendars: ParentMap Family Fun Calendar (parentmap.com/calendar) · Seattle's Child Calendar (seattleschild.com/calendar).

Things to Do With Kids

Free and cheap ways to get out of the house as a family, rain or shine.

Free Museum & Zoo Passes

A single Seattle Public Library card opens free passage to Woodland Park Zoo and the Seattle Aquarium, to MoPOP and the Museum of Flight and the Burke and more, one reservation to the week.

spl.libcal.com/passes

Parks, Spray Parks & Farms

Seattle's spray parks run the summer long, Kelsey Creek Farm in Bellevue stands free every day of it, and come June the U-pick berry farms throw open across the region.

parentmap.com/out-about

Rainy-Day Indoor Play

The community-center open gyms, the indoor playgrounds, the children's museums and the library story times, these keep the little ones occupied through the long gray Seattle days.

seattleschild.com/calendar

Weekend Festivals & Outings

ParentMap's weekly "Weekender" gathers up the best of the free and family-friendly, the festivals, the hikes, the events, across Seattle and the Eastside and the South Sound.

parentmap.com

Seattle Parks & Recreation

Community centers and pools, and low-cost youth recreation and camps, across the whole city, and scholarships to be had.

seattle.gov/parks(206) 684-5177

King County Parks

Hundreds of parks and trails, pools and play areas, across King County, for the family's adventuring the year round.

kingcounty.gov → Parks

KidsQuest Children's Museum

A hands-on STEAM play museum for the young child, in downtown Bellevue.

kidsquestmuseum.org425-637-8100

Imagine Children's Museum

Three floors of hands-on play and learning, for families, up in Everett.

imaginecm.org425-258-1006
Free & Low-Cost · Every Stage

Free Family Fun & Lectures

Free museum days, library passes to the zoo and aquarium, summer spray parks, and public lectures.

Free First Thursdays at Museums

SAM and MOHAI, the Museum of Flight, the Burke, the Nordic, all thrown open free upon the first Thursday of the month.

parentmap.com

Free Museum Days Guide

Seattle's Child's gathering of the free museum days, and of the museums that stand free always.

seattleschild.com

Bank of America "Museums on Us"

The cardholder is given free general admission to the participating museums on the first full weekend of the month.

about.bankofamerica.com

Library Museum Passes

Reserve free passage to the zoo and the aquarium and the museums, on a Seattle Public Library or KCLS card.

spl.libcal.com/passes · kcls.org

UW Frontiers of Physics Lectures

Free public lectures by renowned scientists and Nobel laureates at the University of Washington, open to all comers, in the room or online.

phys.washington.edu

Pacific Science Center, Events & Talks

Community science events, the sensory-friendly hours, and talks for the curious family.

pacificsciencecenter.org/events

Free Outdoor Fun

Spray parks and the free summer fishing weekends, festivals and beaches, gathered up week by week by ParentMap.

parentmap.com/out-about

SPL Summer of Learning

Free summer reading, and the doings that go with it, for all ages, through the Seattle Public Library.

spl.org

KCLS Summer Reading

A free summer reading program, for every age, across the King County libraries.

kcls.org/summer

Seattle Center Festál

Some two dozen free cultural-heritage festivals, kept the year round at Seattle Center.

seattlecenter.com

Northwest Folklife Festival

A free family festival of arts and music and dance, come each Memorial Day to Seattle Center.

nwfolklife.org

Frye Art Museum

A First Hill art museum whose doors stand free always, with programs made for families.

fryemuseum.org
Free & Low-Cost · Arts & Ideas

Free Concerts, Arts & Lectures

Free music and public talks, from a neighborhood chamber-music truck to university lectures you can stream from home.

SCMS, The Concert Truck

Free hour-long chamber-music concerts off a truck made over into a stage, in the parks and markets region-wide (Bellevue, Renton, Seattle and more), made for families, and for those who have never once listened before.

seattlechambermusic.org/concert-truck

UW Public Lectures

Free public talks by UW faculty and notable guests at Town Hall Seattle, the subjects running from birding to the machine mind, in the room or livestreamed.

washington.edu/lectures

UW Frontiers of Physics

Free public lectures by renowned scientists and Nobel laureates, long a favorite of the curious child and teen.

phys.washington.edu

Seattle Arts & Lectures

Talks by authors and thinkers the year round, and free community gatherings besides, such as the Silent Reading at Seattle Center.

lectures.org

Free Summer Concerts Guide

Seattle's Child's gathering of the free, family-friendly outdoor concert series, across Seattle and the Eastside and the South Sound.

seattleschild.com

Pacific Science Center, Talks

Community science events and family-friendly talks, throughout the year, at Seattle Center.

pacificsciencecenter.org/events

Seattle Symphony, Free Community Concerts

Free hour-long orchestra and chamber concerts, set in neighborhood halls across the Puget Sound, easy, and made for families.

seattlesymphony.org

Town Hall Seattle

Talks and science and music the year round, in a historic downtown hall, the Saturday Family Concerts among them (free for ages 22 & under).

townhallseattle.org(206) 652-4255

Kirkland Summer Concerts

Free Thursday-evening concerts at Kirkland's Marina Park, the whole summer long.

parentmap.com

Downtown Bellevue, Live at Lunch

Free midday summer concerts in the heart of Bellevue, and the Bellevue Family 4th and the arts events besides.

bellevuedowntown.com

Free Summer Concerts, Regional List

A great, often-updated gathering of the free outdoor concert series across Seattle and the Eastside (Bellevue, Kirkland, Renton and more).

greaterseattleonthecheap.com

Astronomy on Tap, Seattle

Free astronomy talks with trivia at a local brewery, run monthly by UW grad students.

astro.washington.edu/astronomy-tap

UW Jacobsen Observatory Open Houses

Free public telescope viewing and short talks on the UW campus, most months spring through fall.

UW Astronomy Outreach (Eventbrite)

UW Science Now (Engage)

UW grad students present their research to a general audience at Town Hall Seattle.

engage-science.space

Allen Institute Events

Public brain-science lectures, symposia, and the annual BrainFest at Pacific Science Center.

alleninstitute.org/events
Explore · All Ages

Museums & Attractions

The local museums and attractions families love, many free on first Thursdays or with a library pass.

Seattle Art Museum (SAM)

A downtown art museum, its Family Saturdays free, and free admission besides on the first Thursday of the month.

seattleartmuseum.org

Seattle Aquarium

A waterfront aquarium, the touch pools and the daily family presentations; the child of 3 & under free.

seattleaquarium.org

Woodland Park Zoo

Seattle's ninety-two acres of zoo, the Zoomazium indoor play space, and the family programs.

zoo.org

Burke Museum

The UW museum of natural history and culture; free admission on the first Thursday of the month.

burkemuseum.org

Museum of Flight

A museum of air and space; the first-Thursday evenings free, and the child of 4 & under free always.

museumofflight.org

MoPOP, Museum of Pop Culture

A Seattle Center museum, the hands-on Sound Lab and the family gaming exhibits within it.

mopop.org
Outdoors · All Ages

Parks, Trails & Nature

Kid-friendly trails, free spray parks, nature centers, and free state-park days.

Washington Trails Association

A finder of hikes and the reports of those gone before, the family- and kid-friendly trail guides among them, statewide.

wta.org

Discover Pass & Free State Park Days

The state-parks access pass, and a dozen days a year besides when no pass at all is asked.

discoverpass.wa.gov

Seattle Wading Pools & Sprayparks

Free summer spray parks and wading pools, across the neighborhoods of Seattle.

seattle.gov/parks

Camp Long Environmental Learning Center

A West Seattle nature center, its trails and cabins and the children's programs.

seattle.gov/parks

Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust

Trails and volunteer events, and the youth's outdoor schooling, along the I-90 corridor.

mtsgreenway.org

Seattle Aquarium Beach Naturalist

Free guided wandering of the low-tide beach, along the local shorelines, each summer.

seattleaquarium.org

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