HELP BUILD A STRONGER DOOR COUNTY THROUGH CHILDCARE
Project Leadership Alexis Fuller, co-chair Bridgett Starr, co-chair Mark Duva Ashley Duva Jason Fuller Peter Gentry Jen Gentry Gina Grenfell Alexis Heim - Peter Allie Huber-Rasmussen Shelly Larson Patti Peterson Sean Linnan Pam Seiler Rick Seiler Naomi Spritka Katie Mehlberg Teri Vanlieshout
56 17 G O R D O N RD, S T U R G E O N BAY WI, 5 4235
www.doorcocdc.org
The need for quality childcare has never been this urgent. The headlines are full of stories about the lack of affordable childcare options. In 2022, the national average cost per child was nearly $11,000. Now, DOCO Child Development is acting to address this problem – and we need your help to give children a strong start in life. As moms, we know the importance of childcare and its impact on our children and our economy. We worked to revive this center, reopening it during the pandemic to provide Door County parents more childcare options and a place for young children to grow. We received a $3 million federally funded Workforce Innovation Grant through the United Way of Door County and the state. This grant funded construction of a new facility at 5617 Gordon Road, which will be a resource for the entire community. Door County is considered a childcare desert, but we plan to expand our capacity from 83 to 150 children aged six weeks to five years old. We must raise $3.7 million to fully fund and develop our site and continue to guarantee excellence by paying our dedicated childcare teachers fair wages and providing quality benefits. And we’ll continue our tuition scholarship program to ensure all kids have access to quality childcare. Here’s where you come in. Your generosity will help us create a center that serves both kids and our entire community. The large community room will be available to all families on weekends and evenings when the center is not in session. We hope you will join us in our Community Grows Here campaign to help give the classes of 2035 and beyond the tools they need to succeed in life and make Door County a stronger community. Bridgett Starr Co-Founder Alexis Fuller Co-Founder
Success Grows Here DOCO Child Development has built an 18,500-square-foot center on Gordon Road that will enable us to expand the number of available childcare slots and provide the features that will help us build core developmental skills in our kids. The center offers: Ten childcare classrooms Capacity for 150 children Large community classroom and play area Sensory enrichment room Commercial kitchen Kids kitchen Early childhood educator library and training room Our facility allows us to expand services and serve the entire community, not just those families who are enrolled. The Community learning area will be open to all families on the weekends and to home-school and stay-at-home parents during the week. A community garden is also envisioned. We will also offer Head Start, Early Head Start, and a licensed school-age program for kids ages 4-7. We will continue to offer our tuition scholarship program and state childcare subsidies to make ensure equal access to quality care. DOCO Child Development believes in being a hub for child development in our county. Help us today by giving at bit.ly/communitygrowshere – and find out more about the project at doorcocdc.org/ communitygrowshere Respect for Nature Grows Here Our hilltop location, on 40 wooded acres of the former Poehler orchards property makes providing nature-based education easy. The property’s history and its peaceful setting allow children to appreciate the outdoors, as well as agriculture and gardening. Our teaching approach spotlights a child-led learning approach, where teachers act as facilitators in discovering nature. Plans also call for the development of scenic trails, open to the public, in coming years.
Service Grows Here Door County needs quality childcare. DOCO Child Development is one just three licensed childcare facilities in the county, and our waiting list has hovered around 100 children since opening in 2020. The lack of accessible, affordable childcare extends beyond our back yard. Amid the early days of the pandemic, Congress approve more than $30 billion to help Americans attain stable childcare. But as funding runs out, some 3.2 million children stand to lose access to this vital resource, according to the Century Foundation.
Scarce options for childcare are a barrier to attracting new families to the area, which challenges Door County employers and limits economic growth. “Childcare is a textbook example of a broken market,” said U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin. “It’s past time that we treat childcare as what it is – an element whose contribution to economic growth is as essential as infrastructure or energy.” Your help will ensure we can continue to provide these important services and pay our teachers 30% more than the state average. That helps secure quality child development for our community and unlocks a brighter Door County future. Community Grows Here Be a childcare visionary, right here in Door County. Help us continue to bring new, innovative concepts to childcare by contributing to the Community Grows Here campaign today at bit.ly/communitygrowshere The things young children learn at DOCO Child Development last a lifetime. Growing kids learn to process emotions, communicate, and develop confidence. These skills help them throughout their lives as they become contributing members of our community. Help us invest in Door County’s future and provide the safe, stable, nurturing, quality care that all of our children deserve.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: I don’t have kids. Why should I be concerned about a lack of quality childcare in Door County? More than ever, today’s children need an early start to be successful in school and develop safe, stable, and nurturing relationships that will serve them well into the future. These kids will go on to become the backbone of Door County, have families themselves, pass on their values, and help our economy thrive. Q: I’ve heard that Door County is a “childcare desert.” What does that mean? We’re among the more than half of Wisconsinites who live in an area designated as a childcare desert, an area in which at least there are three young children for every available childcare spot. Q: What difference does high-quality childcare make in the lives of kids? A profound difference. Studies show that kids that have quality childcare are more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to be addicted or arrested, and more likely to have better health outcomes. Q: I’ve heard the cost of childcare is prohibitive. But is it really that bad? DOCO Child Development is doing all we can to keep costs affordable. But at the 2023 Wisconsin Economic Summit, Daria Hall, policy initiatives advisor for the state Department of Children and Families, said that the annual cost of care for one infant can equal a year of tuition at a public, four-year university. “Think about the impacts of these costs, particularly when families are the youngest – they are earning the least they’re going to be earning. You think about college and we’re saving for decades for college, and these are costs that hit right as these families are starting to form,” Hall said.
Q: Why are you conducting a capital campaign if the center is already built? There is far more to quality childcare than a building. We’re fortunate to have a terrific facility, but we need to pay competitive and above-average wages to our excellent teachers, maintain our facility, improve our property, and ensure we have a robust tuition scholarship program that continues to make DOCO Child Development accessible to everyone in the community, regardless of economic status. Through the Community Grows Here campaign, we plan to raise $3.6 million. How many more children will the new center serve? Our former facility could accommodate 83 children. The new, 18,500-square-foot facility on Gordon Road has room for 150 kids, aged six weeks to five years. Q: What’s special about the new center? Plenty. It offers: • Ten childcare classrooms • A large community classroom and play area • A sensory enrichment room • A commercial kitchen • A kids kitchen • An early childhood educator library and training room The community learning area is open to all families on weekends and to home-school and stay-at-home parents during the week. We plan to construct trails on our 40-acre site and a community garden. Q: How can I make a difference in DOCO Child Development’s campaign? By being a childcare visionary and giving today at bit.ly/communitygrowshere, and by advocating for our center’s mission with your friends and neighbors. For more information, visit doorcocdc.org/communitygrowshere.
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