In efforts to keep both facilities sustainable for the future, two Sturgeon Bay-area childcare centers are joining forces beginning next month. The Children's First Development Center and the Door Community Child Development Center announced on Wednesday that the two will merge into one organization known as Doorway to Learning, effective December 1st. The Door Community Child Development Center opened its new facility on Gordon Road in the Town of Sevastopol in January, while the Children's First Development Center moved into the old building a few months later. The Children's First Development Center announced its plans to open less than a year ago in the wake of the closure of the Zion Early Childhood Education Center in West Jacksonport.

As part of the merger, Jim Schiefelbein will serve as Interim Executive Director of Doorway to Learning while searching for a new, long-term leader. The hope is that Doorway to Learning's consolidation will be finished by December 14th, with the operations taking place initially at the current Door Community Child Development Center's facility. In a statement, Doorway To Learning Board President Devin Vandertie believes that the combined teams will work collaboratively to ensure a seamless transition and continued commitment to excellence." With the Door County Community Foundation helping to guide the alliance, President and CEO Bret Bicoy believes this is a step towards sustainable childcare in the county. He hopes the area's community "supports this critical element of stabilizing our workforce." 

Picture courtesy of Pixabay