The DoCo Child Development Center ceremoniously opened its doors on Monday, a welcome sight for the many families in the area needing child care.
State and local officials like Governor Tony Evers joined community members for the ribbon-cutting event for the more than 18,000-square-foot facility on Gordon Road in the Town of Sevastopol. More important than the size of the building, the facility will be able to welcome 150 children six weeks to five years of age, more than 60 kids above what they could handle at their old facility on Egg Harbor Road. Governor Tony Evers connected the day to the more significant issue of child care in the state, which he says will be part of his State of the State Address on Tuesday.
Executive Director Alexis Fuller says it is a dream come true for her, who started the DoCo Child Development Center in the former YMCA Barker Child Care Center in 2020 to help fill a need in the area. Teachers and students moved into the facility after the New Year, and she says it has been great to have the extra space and the community's tremendous support.
The construction of the building was part of a $3.5 million Workforce Innovation Grant received by the United Way of Door County to address childcare challenges in the area. The project allowed the DoCo Child Development Center to to cut its waiting list by over half.
