Mayor Robert Stocks recently visited Watertown Family Connections as part of his ongoing Industry & Innovation Tour, conducted in partnership with the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce. While the tour has highlighted manufacturers, businesses, health-care providers, educational institutions and other organizations that contribute to Watertown’s economy in the past, the visit to Watertown Family Connections offered the Mayor a different perspective on the innovative ways a community can support parents, children and families so they can thrive.
Located inside the Watertown Public Library, Watertown Family Connections, a local non-profit, provides programs and resources focused on early childhood development, parenting support, education and connecting families with community resources. The organization has served families in Dodge and Jefferson counties since 1994 and celebrated 30 years of service in 2024. It is also accredited as a Family Resource Center of Quality through Thriving Wisconsin.
The location of Watertown Family Connections inside the library is itself an example of the power of community partnerships. The space was made possible through the support of the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation, which partnered with the Watertown Public Library and Watertown Family Connections to create a place where young children and their parents could learn, play and connect with resources. The Foundation has described the center as a place designed to promote early learning while supporting parents and caregivers as their children’s first teachers. The partnership brings together library resources, family programming and community connections under one roof.
An important part of Watertown Family Connections’ work is making its services accessible to a diverse community. The organization offers bilingual support, including a bilingual Family Support Coordinator who helps Spanish-speaking families navigate community resources and connect with appropriate services. The organization’s website reports a 24 percent increase in requests from Latino/Hispanic families and notes that 326 families were supported during the most recently reported year. Watertown Family Connections also offers parenting education in multiple formats, including in-person, virtual and online options. Curtis shared with the Mayor that the organization’s online parenting classes have reached families well beyond the Watertown area—with participation reported as far away as Australia.
Stocks said the visit reinforced one of the themes he hopes residents take away from his Industry & Innovation Tour: building a strong economy and a strong community go hand in hand. “Economic development isn't just about buildings, businesses and jobs,” Stocks said. “It is also about whether families want to live here, whether parents can find the support they need, whether children have opportunities to learn and grow, and whether organizations are working together. Watertown Family Connections is making a difference in our community. Their work strengthens families today while helping build the kind of community we want to have tomorrow.”
The Mayor’s Industry & Innovation Tour is conducted in partnership with the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce and is intended to showcase local businesses, organizations, educators and community partners that are contributing to Watertown’s economic vitality, quality of life and future.