Mission

Our mission is to build strong foundations for children’s learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system, and the wider community.

We carry out this mission by:

  • Offering support programs and services to benefit children age 0-5 years through their families, caretakers and educators.
  • Serving as a voice for the early childhood system.
  • Educating the community on the critical needs of young children and helps develop solutions.
  • Convening community stakeholders to develop and expand programs and services.
  • Administering Smart Start and NC Pre-kindergarten funds to elevate early education opportunities for local children.

Vision

For every child in our community to have the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential in a community that supports, nurtures and empowers children and families.

Our current strategic plan is set to launch the Children’s Council into the future as we…

  • Enhance child & Family wellbeing
  • Increase visibility and community engagement
  • Advance a healthy and sustainable organization

Our History

From a small group of concerned citizens organizing coat drives to a lively non-profit with over 20 programs and services, the Children’s Council has been uplifting local children, families and educators to meet their highest potential since 1977. Thanks to the hard work of many, local youth have the opportunity to soar.

1977

A group of volunteers band together to fill unmet needs of local children.

1999

‘The Children’s Council’ becomes an official Smart Start partnership.

2005

‘Raising a Reader’ advances early literacy in the community.

2006

The Children’s Council takes on the administration of NC Pre-K in Watauga.

2008

Children’s Council joins with WAMY and OASIS to form the Family Resource Center.

2015

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library comes to Watauga.

2019

The Children’s Council is officially recognized as a “family resource center”.

2023

The Children’s Council becomes a certified Family Forward Workplace.

“The Watauga CCR&R has been a fundamental part of me becoming established in the child care field. They are my go-to place for answers about licensing, required trainings, and support as a professional. I have referred multiple families for help with a variety of needs. I can not do my job without them.”
- Christelle M., Early Educator

“I’m a grandparent, not the parent, but it helps his development and he is more interested in learning.  It is important because it gives opportunities for my grandson to learn and interact with other children and learn new ways to do activities and read books.  This is a wonderful program.”

- Shirl W., Grandparent

Our Team:

Elisha Childers

Executive Director

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:

My people, of course! The staff bring me such joy each day.

Favorite positive child experience:
Spending summers with my cousins on my great-grandparent’s farm. I am an only child, so this time with cousins was always so happy.
When I grew up I once wanted to be:
A fashion illustrator. Not an actual clothing designer, mind you. I just wanted to draw the clothes.

Christine Thacker

Operations Manager

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:

My coworkers, hands down. They’re the kind of people who make even the busiest days fun—they make work something I genuinely look forward to. 

Favorite positive child experience:
Playing in the woods with my brother, searching for salamanders, scrambling over rocks, and climbing trees—those are the moments that shaped my childhood. Growing up in Boone, surrounded by such natural beauty, gave me the freedom to explore and the gift of wonder. I’m forever grateful for those years and the deep, lifelong appreciation for nature and the outdoors they instilled in me. 
When I grew up I once wanted to be:
Professional soccer player (Michelle Akers!)

Jessica Yates

Family Services Program Director

What’s the “why” behind your work?
The why behind my work is my daughter and my journey as a parent. When I became a parent, I quickly learned how challenging it can be and how important it is to have support. I am grateful and proud to be able to support families everyday through my work at the Children’s Council. I believe that everyone deserves a childhood full of positive experiences, and every parent deserves the support and information to make that happen. 
Favorite positive child experience:
One of my favorite childhood experiences was living on a farm where I had the freedom to explore and be outdoors. 
When I grew up I once wanted to be:
I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up, and I was for about 13 years. 

Virginia Ford

Development Director

What’s the “why” behind your work?
Over a decade of working with people in crisis made it clear that early intervention is the ‘difference-maker’. I wanted to be where people were getting the support they needed before their challenges became emergencies. 
Favorite positive child experience:
Taking my snoopy pole and going fishing with my dad and brother. 
When I grew up I once wanted to be:
An author, because I always loved getting lost in the world of books. 

Roberta Yates

Early Care & Education Team Lead

What's the "why" behind your work?

I have always been passionate about working with children. After many years in child welfare, I felt called to shift into a role where I could make a more direct and lasting impact on a child’s life. I wanted to be part of something proactive rather than reactive, something that supports children before challenges become crises.

Quality early education is critical, as those first years shape the foundation for a lifetime. My goal is for every child to feel loved, valued, and secure. If their home environment cannot fully provide that, I want their early education program to be a place of safety, growth, and meaningful stimulation, space where every child can thrive.

Favorite positive child experience:
Every summer, we traveled to Canada at the same time each year. My parents would drive through the night, and once we crossed the border, we’d stop for breakfast at a favorite pancake house. We spent an idyllic week on a picturesque lake, where the water was icy cold, but that never stopped us from spending hours at the dock, swimming, boating, and forming lifelong friendships with the other returning families. All meals were shared in the lodge, which also became our rainy-day retreat for card games, ping pong, and sipping on “soda pop.” 
Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:
I love seeing my amazing co-workers every day. We laugh together, support each other through tough moments, and share a strong commitment to our work. Everyone steps up and lends a hand when needed, creating a true sense of teamwork. It’s a safe and nurturing environment where you’re free to be yourself, learn from mistakes, and continue growing both personally and professionally. 

Wes Berry

Home Based Childcare Coordinator

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:
My coworkers, hands down. They’re the kind of people who make even the busiest days fun—they make work something I genuinely look forward to. 
Which toy or game did you love most growing up?
I loved G.I. Joe, He-Man, and anything Professional Wrestling related. Vivid memories of creating forts in the dirt with G.I. Joe and making wrestling rings out of hymnals on the back of church pews to wrestle of WWF figures.
What’s the “why” behind your work?
The ability to create generational change drives me every day! Very few things in life can create the lasting change that early childcare and education can.

Sara Smith

Finance Associate

Favorite positive child experience:
I enjoyed my yearly beach trip with my family to Sunset Beach.  We stayed in the same house and went to the same restaurants.  There’s a sense of nostalgia when I visit there to this day.
When I grew up I once wanted to be:
I basically wanted to be the superhero ‘She-Ra’. 
Which toy or game did you love most growing up?
My go-cart.  I put a lot of miles on that thing. 

Sierra Snyder

           Early Childhood Support Coordinator;           Play & Learn Group Facilitator

Describe your perfect day:

Coffee with plenty of creamer, reading books with my daughter, playing in the sunshine, and swimming in any type of water.

What’s the “why” behind your work?

Throughout my career, I have fallen in love with positive guidance principles, responsive caregiving, and forming partnerships with families. I have given support to a multitude of families from varying backgrounds and advocated for young children by providing developmentally appropriate information, guidance, and resources. I am passionate about the importance of early childhood and how a child’s earliest years can affect the rest of their life.

When I grew up I once wanted to be:
I’ve always wanted to be a mama! 

Miranda Vaughan

Early Care & Education Coordinator

Jeannie Parsons-Rhymer

Family Navigator

Favorite positive child experience:
Playing in the dirt next to the creek and making mud pies with my dishes and playing house in the woods. Now, those were some great days. 
Which toy or game did you love most growing up?
Riding the trails in the woods on our dirt bike. 
When I grew up I once wanted to be:
I wanted to be an airline stewardess, meeting all kinds of people, flying around the world seeing all there was to see. 

Jillian Hines

Resource Specialist

Favorite positive child experience:
Playing make-believe games, riding bikes, and climbing trees in the woods with my brother, sister, neighbors, cousins, and our dog. I had a free-range childhood and was always surrounded by loving people from my community. 
Which toy or game did you love most growing up?
My cat(s) and dog(s); baby dolls; mud, sand, paint, or anything else messy! 
What’s the “why” behind your work?
I think children are the answer to a brighter, kinder, more sustainable future for our world and it is our responsibility as adults to invest in them. 

Matt Powell

                   Program Support Coordinator;                   Circle of Parents Facilitator

Favorite positive child experience:
I frequently think of me and my brother creating these huge elaborate toy towns that would include like a city, an army base, rain forests with animals, the bathroom and bathtub filled with aquatic animals, etc.. We would spend hours making these towns and then we would have like a big war, and it was always so much fun taking the time to pretend and bond with my brother.  
Which toy or game did you love most growing up?
I loved monopoly, me and my friends were always crazy competitive, and I just remember spending hours playing until we all quit at 5AM in the morning! 
When I grew up I once wanted to be:
I wanted to work with animals, specifically exotic animals like large cats and monkeys!

Julia Larson

Bilingual Parent Educator

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:
As a parent educator and home visitor, I love seeing the connections between parents/caregivers and their children and the unique ways they play and learn together. I have the privilege to get to know these families over an extended period of time and to witness the joy that families find in their child’s individual growth and development. 
Favorite positive child experience:
As a child, I enjoyed playing with my younger brother in the yard in front of our house and the woods beside our house. Neither our yard nor the patch of woods was particularly large, but they felt huge as a child and gave us a safe place to play and roam. As I got older, I was able to walk on my own to friends’ houses in the neighborhood, playing games in their yards and riding our bicycles between houses. I feel very fortunate to have grown up somewhere that offered safe places to play and explore. 
Which toy or game did you love most growing up?
Anything and everything CATS! For years, my aunt and uncle would send me a page-a-day cat calendar for Christmas and I would collect my favorite cat pictures from the calendar and group them into families, make up stories about the cats in the pictures, and build them homes out of old shoe boxes. As a grown-up, I now live with two real cats and they continue to be some of my favorite creatures! 

Renee Ashwood

Lead Parent Educator

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:

I love seeing all my coworkers in the morning! I feel so grateful to get to work with the families I see while at work. Sometimes it’s as simple as a parent reaching a goal they’ve worked so hard to achieve or hearing a child’s laughter sharing joy with the people and caregivers they are around. 

Describe your perfect day:

My perfect day would start slow with my kiddos cuddled up and a warm cup of coffee. We would spend the day together exploring, cuddling, and reading together.  

Which toy or game did you love most growing up?

Mud, sticks, and leaves! Playing outside was my favorite activity, and often I would spend the whole time outside after school, playing in a small patch of woods out front of my home or at my grandmother’s. I loved to explore!

Brenda Covarrubias León

Parents as Teachers Parent Educator

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:
Knowing that I am nurturing positive childhoods. 
Favorite positive child experience:
Playing soccer outside of my abuelitas house In Mexico. 
Describe your perfect day:
Waking up before the sunlight hits my window. Yoga. Coffee + blueberry pancakes + bible. Getting work done @ a local coffee shop. Wrapping up the day with a sunset view. 

Katie Miller

Lead DUAL School Teacher

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:
I really enjoy greeting all the DUAL school kids in the morning and welcoming them into the classroom. They each have their own morning personality which I’ve loved getting to know.
Favorite positive child experience:
I remember visiting a flintstone park in Arizona with my family. It was set up kind of like Id imagine the flintstone movie set may be. There were no rides or anything, just a literal park with fake dinosaurs and such. My brother and I had so much fun! I also remember being so excited to try a catus drink while we were there. We went to the Grand Canyon the next day and I remember not being very impressed with that. 
What’s the “why” behind your work?
I believe positive early childhood experiences and having an adult who loves you can set a child up for such a future! I love being able to be a part of their journey and encouraging them along the way.

Juliana Phillips

Lead DUAL School Teacher

Emily Greco Wimmers

Children’s Program Specialist

Allison Rollans

Circle of Parents Facilitator 

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:
Support that other mothers show new attendees at our group.
Favorite positive child experience:
Playing in the woods. 
Describe your perfect day:
Waking up to breakfast made, time for a shower and a home visit with a new parent, followed by lunch with my good friends and a hike with the fall leaves crunching under my feet. Followed by FaceTiming my grandson and dinner with my husband.

Sophie Rudisill

Postpartum Support Group Facilitator

Which toy or game did you love most growing up?
I loved anything that could engage my imagination, especially a fold-up Sesame Street family apartment play set and a Fischer-Price town play set.
What’s the “why” behind your work?
Connection! I love supporting connection for the parents I get to work with, whether that is parents in group forming connections and friendships with each other or helping individuals to feel more connected to and confident in their new identity as a parent.
When I grew up I once wanted to be:
I had dreams of being an actress, a mom, owning a catering company and being a photographer for National Geographic, all at the same time!

Angela King

Incredible Years Facilitator

Describe your perfect day:

Spending time with my family- preferably outdoors! 

What was your favorite toy or thing to play with as a child?

 I loved my bike- the freedom and fun!

When I grew up I once wanted to be:

A mom!

Jennifer Phillips

Circle of Parents Facilitator

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:

Holding babies!!!

What’s the “why” behind your work?

I believe in the curriculum we utilize. I just want caregivers to feel like they have options for handling childhood misbehaviors and feel supported in that role.

Describe your perfect day:

Waking up to a snow-covered mountain scape with warm coffee and my babies. We spend the whole day eating hearty soups while cuddling in front of a fireplace reading books.

Nataly Reza

Circle of Parents Facilitator

Something About Work that Always Makes Me Smile:
One thing about my work that never fails to make me smile are the interactions I have with my families and colleagues. The children’s council has built such a joyful atmosphere, built on not only giving back to others but also learning from one another.
What’s the “why” behind your work?
The why behind my work revolves largely around community. When I was younger, many of my positive childhood experiences were related to community gatherings and the people that my parents surrounded themselves with- both family and friends. Culturally, community is a large part of our lives; and as an adult there are many times I’ve reflected on this concept, applying it to what I want for my children and family as we establish roots here in Boone.
When I grew up I once wanted to be:
When I was growing up I wanted to be an immigration lawyer, and I still do. I am a firm believer that a persons path does not need to be linear, rather, it must serve a purpose to the journey. The purpose of this stage in my life is to create community, understand the need and apply myself in the future based on my life experiences now. I am a mother and community member first- with continuous aspirations for my future self.