The Barker Child Development Center will be closing at the end of the summer camp season, with no expected reopening. The Door County YMCA made the announcement after consulting with local organizations and other childcare operators from as far away as Green Bay. Executive Director Tom Beerntsen says financial difficulties with the program date back to 2015 when 4-K instruction was picked up by most area school districts.
The Door County YMCA could have an operating loss of up to $300,000 this year, says Beerntsen, stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Those financial results make it impossible for the Y to continue subsidizing the Barker Center.
