Snohomish County said it has allocated $1.8 million of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support youth and family resource hubs.

In a Tuesday news release, the county said it has supplied funds to eight brick-and-mortar resource hubs, including a mix of certified family resource centers. In 2022, these hubs have helped more than 1,700 individuals with services ranging from financial assistance, to public benefit system navigation, to employment connections.

“The pandemic has been very challenging for working families across our county, which means the need for supportive services skyrocketed,” said County Executive Dave Somers. “That’s why we’re investing our federal recovery dollars in these youth and family resource hubs. They provide opportunities for families to receive face-to-face, personal assistance from a provider who is focused on helping meet their needs.”

The youth and family resource hubs provide in-person services to individuals and families who are at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Services provided have a specific focus on mitigating socio-economic harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first six months of 2022, the eight funded hubs have served more than 1,700 individuals from nearly 570 unique households, the county news release said. Of these households, 74% were at or below 30 percent AMI (income under $38,800 for a family of four), 23%t identified as families of color, and 26% identified as Hispanic or Latino.

“Families need reliable supportive services to return to work, and I’m hearing weekly from parents who are struggling to find and pay for child care. Investing in resource hubs will increase opportunities for families to meet their needs and reduce the socio-economic harm caused by the pandemic,” said County Council Chair Megan Dunn.

The youth and family resource hubs are operated by community-based organizations designed to respond to the local needs of the communities they serve. They provide a critical point of contact to help individuals and families address their immediate needs while also building community connections to additional local services. The Community Foundation of Snohomish County continues to be instrumental in the capacity-building and sustainability of these services by providing technical assistance, leadership for a collective approach, and advocacy for additional funding.

The county-invested hubs serve youth and families across all five county council districts. The county contracts with the following organizations to operate these hubs:

– ChildStrive

– Community Resource Center of Stanwood-Camano

– Take the Next Step

– Cocoon House

– YWCA of Snohomish County

– North Counties Family Services

– Volunteers of America Western Washington (Arlington and Sky Valley)

Executive Somers established the Office of Recovery & Resilience to guide the county’s pandemic recovery work. Information can be found at www.snohomishcountywa.gov/recovery.