DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Child care shortages have long been a concern across the Door County Peninsula, over the past few years we’ve reported on these challenges, from limited spots to rising costs.
Now, NBC 26 is checking in with one local child care center to see how they’ve navigated these struggles and what the landscape looks like today.
Watch below to learn more about the ongoing childcare struggles in Door county:
In 2024, Children First Development Center was just getting the keys to its new Sturgeon Bay location. Later that year, the center merged with Door Community Child Development Center to prevent both centers from closing due to financial challenges.
"Door County has been known to be a childcare desert. It's always been a struggle," Hope Herbst, Center Director said.
The center, now known as Doorway to Learning, currently serves 125 children and has a waitlist of 30 to 40 families.
"Right now I would say affordability of childcare is difficult to maintain in our community, as well as availability," Herbst said.
Weekly rates at Doorway to Learning are $315 for infants 0–2, $275 for 2–3 year olds, and $245 for children ages 3–5.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, the average cost of center-based care for one infant is just under $12,000 a year, or about $229 per week.
Doorway to Learning offers additional support for families who don’t qualify for state subsidies.
"So families can apply for that and get anywhere between 10 to 20 percent off their child’s care," Herbst said.
Executive Director Michelle Jacobson says that, in addition to rising costs, recruiting and retaining staff remains one of the center’s biggest challenges.
"The finances don't make it easy to give raises and to give bonuses and all those kinds of things that make people want to stay long-term," Michelle Jacobson, Executive Director, said.
Child care remains a challenge for many families in Door County, but Doorway to Learning says they hope to continue providing care and support for kids in the community for as long as they can.
