about

Mission

Northern Door Children’s Center is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing quality primary care in a safe, secure environment that enhances personal growth and educational development for the young citizens of northern Door County, in partnership with parents and the community.

Support NDCC

When you donate to NDCC, you help us provide scholarships, purchase educational supplies, and keep our Center operating.

History

Northern Door Children’s Center (NDCC) was established in 1986 as a parent cooperative. Before long, the families realized that they might need the assistance of early childhood professionals, and the cooperative became an early care and education center!

NDCC originally was housed in the Old Sister Bay School House. Thanks to the financial support of the community, and the generosity of one specific donor, Judith Blazer, our beautiful, state-of-the-art facility opened in 1999. Phase 1 of a new construction project was completed in February 2023. NDCC is now licensed to serve 130 children from ages six weeks to 11 years, NDCC operates year-round and has a full-time teaching and administrative staff. 

 The economy of Northern Door County depends almost exclusively on the ability of young families to live and work here at the many hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail establishments, grocery stores and retirement communities. These families require and deserve the very best early care and education for their children. The high-quality early care and education provided by NDCC is critical to maintaining a healthy economy in this beautiful place where so many come to vacation and enjoy retirement. 

For 30 years and counting, NDCC has served the families of Northern Door County. There is a specific, carefully designed educational program for every age. Please see the “Programs” page for more information.

Philosophy

The primary purpose of Northern Door Children’s Center is to provide high-quality child care services for children through a stimulating and accepting environment. We strive to provide a balanced curriculum with activities and opportunities to enhance and develop each individual child’s physical, social, emotional, creative and intellectual development.

Core Values

Some years ago, teachers and administrative staff came together and were presented with 400 possible statements to express our core values as an early education organization.

Within only a couple of hours, everyone agreed that the following five statements best describe who we are, what we stand for, and what we teach our students each and every day.

Our school core values are:

  • Be Kind

  • Be Safe

  • Be Respectful

  • Be a Learner

  • Be Part of Our Community

staff

Northern Door Children’s Center boasts a core group of teachers and administrators who work year-round. Each summer, our staff increases as the number of children grows. College students, usually studying education or human services, join the NDCC staff during these busy summer months, and some return year after year. Many of our dedicated staff have been employed here for ten years or more. 

Research tells us that the higher level of education in the teaching staff, the higher the quality of the early childhood program. Each teacher who joins the NDCC staff and who does not already hold a four-year degree in education must begin work toward completing a degree as a condition of employment. 

Thanks to a scholarship program through the state of Wisconsin, our teachers are able to attend college online and complete a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. With the scholarship and assistance from NDCC, our teachers pay only a small fraction of the cost. In addition, we provide regular in-house training specifically tailored to meet the needs of our staff and students.

Our highly educated and qualified teachers are the number one reason the education experience we provide at Northern Door Children’s Center is the very best for our students and their families. And our talented administrative staff offers ongoing support to the teaching staff, resulting in a strong, cohesive team.

Board of Directors

As a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, Northern Door Children’s Center has a volunteer Board of Directors. Comprised of between 11 and 13 members, many of the Board have served as long as ten years. They are a multi-talented group representing parents, grandparents, business owners, public school teachers, retirees and members of the local clergy. 

Our Board is a very “hands-on” group of individuals who are involved with long-term planning and who keep an eye on the big picture of NDCC’s operations. The Board meets monthly and also periodically participates in long-term strategic planning events.