'Everyone's excited' for new child care center in Sturgeon Bay as fundraising continues

STURGEON BAY - So far, so good for Door County's newest child care center, which opened Monday while continuing to raise funds.

Children First Development Center opened in the Door County YMCA's former Barker Child Development Center building on Egg Harbor Road in Sturgeon Bay, and administrator Kayla Lehman said after the first four days, staff, families and young ones are more than happy with how things are going.

"It's been a very good week. Everyone's excited," Lehman said. "There's lots of getting to know each other between teachers and families. It typically takes two weeks for the little ones to get adjusted to new faces."

Children First currently is licensed to admit up to 69 children ages 6 weeks to 4 years, and it had 45 students during its first week. Lehman said a handful of new students will come in over the next couple weeks, putting the center's enrollment in the low 50s by the beginning of July.

Lehman said the center is almost fully staffed, with 12 regular teachers (six lead teachers, six assistants) headed by director Lorie Torbeck, who's worked in early childhood development for more than 50 years, and one float teacher, basically a teacher who can fill in as needed or serve as a pair of extra hands during busy times such as lunches. The only two openings at the moment are for float teachers, and Lehman said they're considering applications.

The center has student openings for 2- to 4-year-olds but a "pretty long" waiting list for younger enrollees, Lehman said. She said it isn't surprising that parents might be reluctant to enroll a 3- or 4-year-old into a brand new care center when they're only a year or so away from enrolling in a 4K school program, possibly putting stress on a population that typically can struggle with change.

Given that Children First is a brand new center, with brand new students adjusting to the new place and teachers learning about them, Lehman said it's OK that they're not yet at full capacity.

"It played in our favor that we stayed on the small side of enrollment," Lehman said.

The opening of Children First comes at a critical time for working families in Door County. Lehman noted the county already was experiencing a major shortage of child care facilities and workers when plans were forming late last year for their new center, and since then two other local child care facilities have closed: Zion Early Childhood Center in Jacksonport, which was working with 60 children, in December and Adventures Child Care Center in Brussels, which had about 24 kids, in February.

"When we started talking about (starting) the center back in October, there was a tremendous need back then," Lehman said. "Since then, we lost two other centers (that served) 80 children. Families have been shuffling to make things work (for child care) between friends, family, work, churches."

That's at least part of the reason why Lehman said she, Torbeck and the rest of the staff have received positive reactions from the families of their students in this first week.

"Families are excited," she said. "The families are noticing a big change at home. Routines are easier for the families and children, they know what to expect."

Meanwhile, the center, which is awaiting approval from the IRS of its 501(c)(3) nonprofit application, is continuing with its $740,000 capital campaign to raise funds for equipment, materials and updates. Lehman said the campaign so far has raised $425,000, which was enough to cover the cost of the building and buying, repairing and updating some equipment.

Children First is at 1743 Egg Harbor Road, Sturgeon Bay. For more information on student enrollment or donating to the campaign, call Children First at 920-333-1475 or email [email protected].

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or [email protected].

MORE: Wine made by artificial intelligence is now a reality at this Wisconsin winery

MORE: A Door County marina in business for almost 60 years is sold to a Texas-based company

FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our website

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Children First child care center opens in Door County