Parents Resources

This non-profit in Issaquah collects all sorts of family-oriented items, from maternity clothes to baby gear and toys for children ages birth-12, and distributes them free of charge to local social service organizations that serve families in need.

Donations of gently used items (no car seats or cribs more than five years old, please) are accepted from 7pm-8:30pm Mondays, and from 9am-11am Thursdays. Check the Eastside Baby Corner's Web site for phone hours and holiday closures; donations shouldn't be left outside the facility. Cash donations are also gladly accepted. You may call to arrange a different time or drop-off location.

Baby Boutique provides free children's and maternity items, including clothing, shoes, diapers, toys, and equipment to homeless families. The Boutique serves hundreds of children each year.

Families needing items are referred by DSHS case workers or other social service professionals.

Donations of items in excellent condition are accepted each Tuesday through Friday from 10am-3pm and on the fourth Saturday of each month from 9:30am to 12n. Items needed most urgently include equipment such as strollers, car seats, and cribs, children's clothing in sizes four to seven, shoes, diapers, infant formula, and plus-size maternity clothes. The boutique can always use maternity clothing, nursing gear, bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, bedding, shoes, coats, bassinets, toys, children's books, and books on parenting.

Named for comedienne Gilda Radner, Gilda's Club provides a variety of programs for people with cancer and their families. Services include weekly support groups, classes, lectures, workshops, and social activities. Membership is free; call to sign up for an orientation.

The summer Camp Sparkle! program serves children ages five to 18 who have been touched by cancer. Camps are free and features arts and crafts, games, workshops, and field trips. Lunch and snacks are provided. A day camp is offered for children ages five and up and an overnight camp session is held for children ages eight and up. Membership at Gilda's Club is required for camp registration. Membership is free; contact Aimee Cruver at 206.709.1400 or by email for more information.

Hearts is a Seattle-based Christian homeschool co-op that strives to provide support, accountability, encouragement, and fellowship to homeschooling families and to provide a variety of educational and social opportunities for homeschooled children. Classes are offered in a variety of subjects, including drama, music, art, science, and Spanish.

WHO is a statewide, nonprofit, nonsectarian, nonpartisan group that offers support for homeschooling families, along with advocacy, information, and other resources. This is a good first stop for families who are considering homeschooling or who want to form homeschooling groups.

WHO. also offers seminars, lectures, and workshops for homeschooling families, along with at least one major convention per year.

The Wilderness Awareness School, based in Duvall, is a non-profit that offers a variety of programs for kids and families interested in improving their skills as naturalists. Programs here "draw on traditions from indigenous cultures world-wide, emphasizing nature as teacher, routines to enhance awareness, storytelling, self-motivated learning, and tracking as an interpretive tool." Classes suitable for parents and children are offered through the year - check the website or contact the organization to get on its mailing list.

Class offerings include:

Wilderness Awareness Monthly Programs for ages six-12 are held at parks throughout the area, including in Seattle, Vashon, Carnation, and Kirkland. Kids work together in small groups to gain knowledge of nature awareness, plants, mammals, tracking, birds, and survival.

Wilderness Awareness Youth School is a program for home-schooled students ages seven-12 that incorporates all material from the monthly programs with more intensive studies of the natural world. The program includes monthly field trips, overnight experiences, guest speakers, and instructors in various topics.

Teen Expeditions give youth ages 12-15 an opportunity to study topics in the natural world more intensively. They're held periodically throughout the year.

Registration for classes is now available online.

Urgent care is available daily until 12m at this Group Health location.

In addition to Overlake's level III Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery for sick and premature babies and its overall reputation as a fine place to give birth, the hospital offers an excellent, reasonably priced array of parenting, safety, and CPR classes, as well as etiquette classes for grade- and middle schoolers. Contact the hospital or go to its website for an up-to-date class list.

Over 90% of Overlake's doctors are board-certified in their specialties. To find a doctor, call the medical center's free Physician Referral Line. Determine a physician's credentials, office hours, location, and whether or not they accept your insurance and are accepting new patients. [425.688.5211]

Urgent care is available daily until 12m at this Group Health location.

Sunflower is a local, mother-owned diaper service that offers twice-weekly pick up and delivery of contoured diapers with snaps (no folding or pinning necessary) for children newborn up to 35 lbs. A bucket, deodorant, and pail liner come with the service, and parents have the option to add washable cotton wipes to their order.

The company delivers to North Seattle, from neighborhoods north of the Ship Canal to 130th.

A Nanny For U offers full-time or temporary nannies, postpartum doulas, housekeepers, and household managers. All candidates are screened.

Callahan Concierge helps busy families simplify their lives. Services include mothers helpers, carpools, errand-running, pet care, and anything else you might need so long as it's legal and ethical. Call the office or visit the website for service requests.

Sunshine Paperie offers all-occasion invitations, announcements, holiday photo cards, and more, as well as unique gift items such as personalized placemats and decorative labels for sippy cups.

Stuck on You designs and manufactures high quality, colorful personalized labels for every Tom, Dick or Harriet. The best-selling vinyl sticks are waterproof, microwave and dishwasher safe, and don't leave a sticky residue when it's time to take them off. The iron-on labels and clothing tattoos are commercial laundry, washing machine, and dryer safe. Check the gallery of cute icons that can be added to most products - in addition to expressing personality, the images help non-readers distinguish their stuff! The sizes and shapes are really useful as well - shoe dot, anyone?

Stuck on You sales can be done as fundraisers for schools and camps, as well.

Personalized stationery and items for the home are the specialty of GroovyPaper.com, and we're wild about the boutique's selection of notecards, invitations, address labels, and plates/placemats. Looking for a unique design? Shop the favorites section - you won't be disappointed.

Seattle Public Library has 27 branches throughout the city. Patrons with library cards may check out up to 100 items, after an initial month-long period in which they may check out five items at a time. Overdue fines are $.15 per day, but are not charged for children's materials.

Free library cards are available to anyone who lives, works, attends schools, or owns property within the Seattle Public Library area. Guest cards are also available to non-residents for a fee. Sign up for a card at any branch library or online.

If you have questions about the library, or need help accessing Internet information or the library's online resources, use Live Chat. A patron can chat online with a librarian 24/7. Visit the library's Web site and click on Ask A Question, then choose Live Help.

The library system hosts a variety of free educational programs - including preschool storytimes - for children and families during the school year and throughout the summer. In addition to kids' summer workshops, look for summer workshops and classes for teens.

If you have a child aged birth to three, ask about the library's Baby Boxes. Six to 10 themed books, a music tape, finger plays, and an adult resource book are collected in a sturdy plastic box for checkout. Topics cover such common early childhood themes as family, music, animals, and potty training. This is an excellent resource for long car trips, illnesses, or rainy days.

The King County Library System operates 44 branches of varying size all over King County; a Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement with neighboring library systems allows Seattle Public Library patrons to check out books from all KCLS locations.

For homework help, click on the link and go to "Homework" in the left-hand sidebar. Kids have access to a live reference librarian who can answer questions (you'll need a library card), as well as to dozens of links to online reference materials.

The King County Library System operates 44 branches of varying size all over King County; a Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement with neighboring library systems allows Seattle Public Library patrons to check out books from all KCLS locations.

For homework help, click on the link and go to "Homework" in the left-hand sidebar. Kids have access to a live reference librarian who can answer questions (you'll need a library card), as well as to dozens of links to online reference materials.

The 5,250 square foot Richmond Beach Library opened in 2001 and features some lovely outdoor artwork.

A Nanny For U offers full-time or temporary nannies, postpartum doulas, housekeepers, and household managers. All candidates are screened.

PEPS, or Program for Early Parent Support, is a non-profit agency led by staff and volunteers who believe that all parents need and deserve support. For the past 23 years, PEPS has brought thousands of parents together to share and learn. Parents meet in private homes in groups of about 10, with their infants, to talk about the week's challenges and participate in a discussion led by a trained, volunteer group leader. The setting is respectful, supportive, and confidential. Parents gain new skills and the assurance that they are not alone.

There is a fee to participate and scholarships are available. For more information about PEPS meetings, to register for the program, or to share your skills as a volunteer, please go to the PEPS website or call the office.

MOMS Club of Renton is a local chapter of the international MOMS Club, a non-profit, non-religious, charitable organization that supports moms and their families. The club offers activities, playgroups, networking, and opportunities for friendships.

The church hosts Phinney Ridge Lutheran Child Development Center, a National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)-accredited Christian preschool and pre-K program for kids ages two-and-a-half (and potty-trained) to six.

The Go Seattle Card is a multi-attraction pass with unlimited admission to more than 30 of Seattle's top tourist attractions and tours for one low price. Locations include the Space Needle, the Experience Music Project, Argosy Harbor Cruises, the Museum of Flight, the Museum of History & Industry, Safeco Field and Qwest Field tours, and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, to name a few. Each Go Seattle Card includes a free color pocket travel guide book.

Cards range from one-day cards (Adult, $55; Children ages three to 12, $39) to seven-day cards (Adult, $149; Children ages three to 12, $105). The Go Seattle Card can be ordered online; check the website for specials.

Tiny Tots Travel rents a wide array of baby/kid gear for families traveling to the Seattle area. Available products range from the essentials - like cribs, strollers, high chairs and car seats - to convenience items and toys, including bottle warmers and sterilizers, door bouncers, Bumbo seats, ride-on toys, and even Xbox systems and games. The company will try to accommodate requests for items not listed on the website and will purchase and deliver groceries for the actual cost plus a 25% courtesy fee.

Orders can be placed online or by phone. The minimum order is $40 (not including delivery charges) and a 5% discount is extended on all orders over $200 (not including delivery charges) and to all returning customers. The minimum round trip delivery charge is $25, but the rate varies based on location, distance, and time of day.

Crybaby Comforts offers baby equipment rentals - long term or short term - including vacation or visitor rentals and items parents use for a limited time, such as bassinets, swings, bouncy seats, and co-sleepers.