Our Mission

Provide and advocate for quality affordable child care that enriches and nurtures all children, supporting their success in school and in life.

About

At Kids Co. we create safe spaces that inspire wonder, curiosity, and play. We've been serving families since 1989 so we must be doing something really right! Starting with one center in Ballard, we now have 15 throughout Seattle and Mercer Island. And why do our families love us?

15 Convenient Locations
Great Staff
High Quality, Licensed Programs
Lots of Scheduling Options

All Families Are Welcome
Worry Free Work Days
Peace of Mind
Fun for the Kids

Administrative Staff

Susan Brown, President and CEO, Board Member Ex-Officio

Susan Brown

Like many other working women I wear lots of hats…I’m mom to two incredible kids (now young adults), Kelby and Midori, I’m wife to the love of my life, Jim, and I have the incredible honor of being Kids Co.’s founder and CEO. And, I’m a Husky. Beyond the hats that I wear, what I believe is most important that you know about me is that I am blessed beyond comprehension that I get to do the work that I love. Child care is my passion and Kids Co. is the result of decades of hard work, tenacity, and love. Close Bio

Amanda Bakke, Development and Community Relations Manager

Amanda Bakke

One of my many passions in life is to connect great people with other great people. My position at Kids Co. allows me to do just that! I’m constantly reaching out to our community to tell them the Kids Co. story and the many reasons why quality child care is so important. As a mom of two, I know first-hand that it’s crazy-hard to balance a full-time job without such care.

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Cathy Crowe, Family Account Manager

Cathy Crowe

Before joining the Kids Co. team in 2007, I worked for 17 years’ in the child care field. That experience set the stage for my career at Kids Co. My responsibilities here lie within the finance team where I manage Billing and Center Accounts, along with other duties as they surface. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I love all sports, but football is my favorite. I’ve been a diehard Seahawks from the beginning.

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Vanessa Kitchner, Regional Manager

Vanessa Kitchner

In 2013 I started at Kids Co. as a full time Regional Sub. This provided a unique insight to the company and was a great experience for me to become familiar with all of the Kids Co. centers. I have worked in child care since 2009 and have become very passionate about enriching the lives of youth and creating a strong educational community for children and families to be a part of. After spending over 5 years in Portland, I decided to move to Seattle after graduating from Portland State University. Although Portland was very hard to leave, I quickly fell in love with Seattle, especially since I have been a long time Seahawks fan!

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Marjean McCraw, Director of Operations

Marjean McCraw

My first day with the Kids Co. team was on my birthday. I consider myself lucky to share what we call my Kids-Co-Birth-Aversary with what I care deeply about; the success of all kids and my community. I am grateful to be a part of an organization that truly cares about, and provides access to quality care for kids and their families. After graduating from Western Washington University (Go Vikings!), I made a goal to commit myself to work that gives me purpose. I have been lucky to have found that working for kids and families for over 25 years. Times flies when you love your work!

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Julia Robinson, Human Resources Manager

Julia Robinson

I’m happy and honored to run Kids Co.’s Human Resources department. I love HR, especially within the nonprofit sector, so I couldn’t have asked for a better job. Each day I feel privileged to be a part of Kids Co. family – a team of fascinating people who are dedicated to make this world a better place. My door is always open for questions, suggestions, ideas, or a friendly chat!

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Michael Scheinine, Accounting Manager

Michael Scheinine

I was born and raised next to the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Maryland. I started doing accounting when I was 14 years old for a friend’s company. I spend 10 year living and playing in Ketchum / Sun Valley, Idaho before moving to Los Angeles for 18 years where I started working for 2 different CPA firms as a business manager to people in the entertainment industry. In 2005 I decided to move to Seattle and have been working for non-profits ever since. I spend my free time doing a lot of photography and traveling.

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Katia Watson, Director of Finance

Katia Watson

I was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, and received my undergraduate degree in International Business and Economics from Cedarville University in Ohio. My husband and I love the outdoors, so we happily relocated from the Midwest to Seattle in 2008. I have spent most of my career in non-profit healthcare finance, and now I am honored to work for Kids Co. We have two little girls, and as a working mom and a graduate student, I have firsthand understanding of how meaningful and precious quality childcare is. I am grateful that Kids Co. strives to fill that need in the Seattle area.

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Courtney Welsh, Regional Manager

Courtney Welsh

My journey in nonprofit youth development started around 12 years ago while working as a summer camp counselor. Since then I have had the experience working with all age groups from infants to teens. I attended the University at Buffalo, School of Management in New York State for both my undergraduate and graduate studies. Some of my past experiences include Camp Director & Coordinator, School Age Child Care Director, Youth Development Instructor, and Preschool Teacher Aide.

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Program Managers

Joseph Dumars
Kids Co. at Magnolia

Joseph Dumars

Born and raised in Louisiana, I graduated from Northwestern State University of Louisiana with a BA in Journalism in 2005. I have had the honor and pleasure to work in Youth Development for the last 10 years starting at The Harlem Children’s Zone (New York, NY) from 2009 to 2017 and the YMCA (Seattle, WA) from 2017 to 2019. Some of my past experiences include Student Advocate, Academic & Education Coordinator, Program Supervisor and Assistant Program Director. I love to help shape young minds and guide them towards reaching their fullest potential.

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Adam Foote
Kids Co. at Decatur

Adam Foote

Since graduating from Lewis & Clark College with a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Art, I have been working my way up the West Coast creating impactful youth development programs in my communities. I started my youth development career as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Humboldt County California, where I was born and raised, by creating a before and after school program in an alternative high school while assisting teachers in their class room. This year is my third school year managing Kids Co. at West Mercer Elementary and my first at our newest location, Kids Co. at Northwood Elementary. I cherish calling the Pacific Northwest my home. When I have free time you can usually find me playing soccer, board games, and disc golf, hiking, taking pictures, and spending time with family and friends. I also grapple with the cognitive dissidence of supporting both the Sounders and the Timbers during soccer season.

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Gerleza Jackson
Kids Co. at Graham Hill

Gerleza Jackson

Born and raised in Seattle, I was a child who struggled early on with reading. It took the love and time of a teacher that encouraged and instilled confidence in me. This sparked a light that made me to want to help kids learn to read, and have fun in school. My hope is that no child is left behind and that all children will love to learn, have fun and be inspired to follow their dreams.

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Brenna McGinnis
Kids Co. at Adams

Brenna McGinnis

I am born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and have called Seattle my home for the last 13 years. I have a passion for working with children of all ages. I joined Kids Co. almost two years ago and found my new place here at Tops K-8 a wonderful fit. I get to serve a community I not only live in but grow in as well. I bring with me my background in early child education degree as well as my love of art projects and STEM learning tools. I look forward to creating long lasting relationships will all my students and families. When I’m not at Tops you can find me exploring this beautiful city with my dog.

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Patrick Russell
Kids Co. at Queen Anne

Patrick Russell

I have been in the child care field for over twenty years, and I have been with Kids Co. for the past ten. I enjoy my job and the interactions with the families in our community. Every day is an adventure which is full of possibilities. Sharing my love of Art and Science with the kids is what makes me happy. Watching the lightbulb go off in a child’s head when they get excited about a project or experiment makes my day. Our team makes sure that all children in our care have a fun and positive experience and that families feel comfortable hanging out at our center.

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LaFawnda Williams
Kids Co. at McDonald

LaFawnda Williams

I’m an Alaska native who migrated South in order to attend Seattle Pacific University. I fell in love with Seattle and never left! My home-away-from-home is Kids Co. at McDonald where I get to spend quality time with all of your great kids and get to know the community as a whole. In my spare time I enjoy basketball, travel, and my family and friends.

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Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Joe Jornadal, Chair

Joe Jornadal

I’m a commercial lender with over 12 years of experience building relationships with business owners and chief executives, helping them profitably grow their companies. The advice and insights I provide come from years of experience in credit analysis, entrepreneurship, and financial modeling. I earned my BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Among my community service activities, I serve as a board member of Kids Co. and as President and Co-founder of the Wharton Club of Seattle. I reside on the Eastside and enjoy running, hiking, and exploring with my middle school daughter.

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Lauren Offenbecher, Secretary

Lauren Offenbecher

I serve as the Secretary of Kids Co. and the Director of Strategy Development and Implementation for Carrix, Inc. My husband and I are passionate about supporting our two young girls as they explore the world and take on new adventures in skiing, sailing, and anything that keeps them moving.

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Jonathan Siegel, Treasurer

Jonathan Siegel

I am currently the CFO of LabConnect, LLC, a life science services company. Previous to that, I was a CFO, an Economic and Strategy Consultant, and an Economic Researcher. I hold a BA in Economics and an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the University of Chicago. I live in Seattle with my wife and two daughters.

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Board Members at Large

John Hoverson

John Hoverson

Kids Co. is an organization with a mission that is important for Seattle. Kids Co. is a secure, mentoring, safe environment for all children regardless of ability to pay tuition.

I was born and raised in Seattle, a graduate of Seattle Public Schools. My undergraduate degree in Economics is from the University of Kansas and my graduate degree in Business Administration is from the University of Washington. I am a Veteran having served five years as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. As a financial officer I have advised a number of Seattle based companies.

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Katrina Johnson

Katrina Johnson, a local native to Seattle, joined the Kids Co. board in January of 2018. Katrina has been an active member in the Seattle community by volunteering her time with non-profits such as the Anunnaki Project (2008-2013) as an aerialist, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Cycle for Life Board (2014-2016), and The University of Washington Cheer Squad (2002-2006). Professionally, Katrina has been in the insurance industry since 2007. She is an Employee Benefits Producer and her responsibilities include: new sales; leading client relationships; providing creative, all‐encompassing solutions; managing and evaluating vendor relationships; creating pricing and funding strategies; evaluating plan data; and supporting legal compliance and governance strategies. Katrina holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Washington. Katrina loves her family, travel and her community.

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Shawn Larsen-Bright

Shawn Larsen-Bright

I am a business litigation attorney and a partner with the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Seattle. My law practice focuses on complex corporate and commercial disputes. I have been a member of the Kids Co. board since 2008 and served as board chair from 2012-2015.

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Katy McNaughton

Katy McNaughton

I am the Co-Founder and Co-President of Village Life, which is a family owned home builder and land development company, creating thoughtfully designed communities in the North Puget Sound and Central Washington since 2010. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a BS in Business, I worked for Coast Real Estate Services in Everett, WA. I have been passionate about child education since working as a private tutor during college, and have volunteered with Catholic Community Services Youth Tutoring program, where I tutored for several years. Village Life donates a percentage of its profits each year to The McNaughton Foundation, our family’s foundation which focuses on at risk youth. My husband, daughter and I live in Shoreline, where we both grew up.

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