Livingston County Celebrates Bring Your Child to Work Day
GENESEO, N.Y., Aug. 21, 2026 — The children of County employees got a firsthand look at the many different public services their parents help provide to residents during Livingston County’s third annual Bring Your Child to Work Day.
The event offers a meaningful opportunity for local youth to explore the work of County government while accompanying their parent or guardian to their workplace. Nearly 50 eager kids temporarily became the youngest members of the County workforce during the day’s activities.
After starting the morning with breakfast treats, the kids gathered in the Board of Supervisors Assembly Room to attend a mock meeting and learn the basics of how County government operates. County Administrator Shannon Hillier welcomed the group and gave an overview of County history and operations. Officials from the County’s Economic Development and Workforce Development offices presented the youths with fictional resolutions for building a new County pool and bike trail. The kids took turns representing their towns to vote “yea” or “nay” on the resolutions. The mock supervisors also voted unanimously on a new local law requiring every kid in Livingston County to eat candy each morning.
Next, deputies from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office gave a presentation on the department’s K-9 and drone capabilities. The kids met K-9 Kai, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, who showed off his training and performed several impressive tricks. Then all eyes were on the skies when a small, dinner plate-sized drone began hovering overhead as deputies explained the many ways law enforcement uses these unmanned aerial vehicles to keep the public safe.
The kids learned more about the numerous public services provided by the County while making their way through the Geneseo Government Center. A series of QR codes outside each department provided a brief explanation of its particular mission.
Sarah Forrester, a data management analyst with the Department of Social Services (DSS), was enjoying the day with her two boys, Malcolm, 6, and Lowell, 4. She said it was great to have the opportunity to show her sons what their mother does during the work week.
“I got to show them my office. I think it’s nice because it gives them an idea of what the County does for people and the services we provide to the community,” she explained.
Officials from the Board of Elections explained their role in keeping voting safe and secure for residents. They let the kids participate in a mock vote on several propositions, including “favorite candy,” “favorite color,” and “favorite football team.” The kids filled out real ballots and inserted them into a voting machine to record their choices. The winners were Skittles, blue, and, of course, the Buffalo Bills.
Veteran Services Officer Shane Chesnes just began his career with the County the previous week, working his first day in the Veteran Services Office. He brought his daughters, Emerson, 8, and Norah, 10, to learn more about their father’s new career. Emerson said the highlight of her day was getting to see the K-9 and drone presentations.
Families then traveled to the County’s Murray Hill Campus in Mount Morris for a walkthrough of the DSS Code Blue warming center. The facility provides a safe place for unhoused individuals 18 and older to stay during harsh winter weather. Next, the group met with Central Services staff to learn how the department manages the care and maintenance of all County-owned grounds and facilities across the region.
Maggie Smith, a senior account clerk in the Planning Department, has worked for the County since 2017. She was walking with her daughter, Mackenzie, 7, as the group made its way into Al Lorenz Park to learn about its past from County Historian Holly Watson.
“It’s the first time I’ve been to one of these,” she said. “This is great. I think it brings a sense of community because she knows some other kids from her school here. She gets to see that we all work together as a community and live in the same communities. It just brings it all together.”
About Livingston County:
Founded in 1821, Livingston County, N.Y., is home to more than 61,000 residents in 17 towns located across 631 square miles of the Finger Lakes region.
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