Door Community Child Development Center held a ribbon cutting ceremony in Sturgeon Bay Jan. 22 with Gov. Tony Evers, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes and Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Secretary Emilie Amundson attending.
“No matter where you go, child care centers play a vital role in bolstering local economies, supporting working parents, and making sure our kids have the care they need to grow, learn, and thrive,” said Evers. “Child care is necessary to connecting the dots so our kids and families, employers, and industries can be successful. Through our Workforce Innovation Grant Program investment, this center will have a positive impact on Door County and the local economy, with nearly double the capacity and new uses for the entire community to enjoy.”
In December 2021, the United Way of Door County received $3.5 million through a Workforce Innovation Grant to make changes to existing child care facilities in the county.
Hughes said, “Child care is essential infrastructure for our economy. Our incredible workforce relies on access to affordable and quality care to move our economy forward.”
According to data provided by DCF, 30 percent of ZIP Codes in Door County are considered child care deserts, meaning there are few or no high-quality options for child care in the neighborhood or community. With the new 18,600-square-foot building, Door Community Child Development Center’s capacity has grown from 83 to 150 children that allows the center to provide programming for Head Start and area school districts.
The center has a large community room set up as a children’s play space, which can be rented out for birthday parties and holding events such as family cooking classes and art classes. The center also includes a sensory gym with a cocoon swing, adjustable lighting, monkey bars, ziplines, and more.
“We are also trying to find new ways for all families to be able to attend,” said Alexis Fuller, one of the center’s founders and its executive director, who leads efforts to fundraise tuition scholarships and rainy-day funds for families and staff support. “We make sure there are no hurdles for them to be successful.”
The Workforce Innovation Grants are administered by WEDC and DWD. Approximately $3 million of the grant allocation was spent on this new $6.7 million center at 5617 Gordon Road in Sturgeon Bay. The remaining funds were used to make improvements at the county’s other nonprofit center, Northern Door Children’s Center in Sister Bay, as well as help both centers boost wages and benefits to attract and retain staff.
“We are excited to begin the next phase of the grant with Door Community Child Development Center,” said United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle. “In this new space, we will be able to pilot various efforts that we hope will bring different revenue streams into the center, which will reset the old business model. We look forward to sharing these practices and lessons learned with others across the state of Wisconsin. The investment made at Northern Door Children’s Center has already resulted in a steady income stream.”
Since the Child Care Counts program’s inception in 2020, more than $650 million has gone directly to childcare providers to increase wages, provide benefits, expand access to care, and more. The program has helped more than 4,440 child care providers keep their doors open, ensuring the employment of 22,000 child care professionals and allowing providers to continue care for more than 113,000 kids.
In October, Evers announced he was directing $170 million in emergency funding to DCF to continue the Child Care Counts Stabilization Payment Program at current levels through June 2025. It will provide direct relief to over 4,400 child care providers across the state to help ensure child care providers can afford to keep their doors open and continue providing care for children to keep workers in Wisconsin’s workforce.
The Door Community Child Development Center at its original location received $621,703 in Child Care Counts funding since fall 2020. As of December 2023, the Door Community Child Development Center was serving 78 kids.
