Moms aim to bring 24-hour nonprofit child care facility to Sheboygan

As Wisconsin and the nation confront a child care crisis, a new facility is set to open this year in Sheboygan, and its founders are aiming to serve families that often struggle to access child care.

A Million Dreamz won’t turn away children that may require specialized care, but rather hire qualified staff to meet their needs, said co-founder Angel Berry. Its mission is to offer 24/7 accessible care.

Staffing is the biggest concern for the nonprofit. Low wages are a problem when it comes to finding child care workers across the country, Berry said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, child care workers across the United States earned an average of $12.88 per hour in 2020. In addition to fair wages, A Million Dreamz plans to offer free continuing education opportunities for staff, which are required for workers in early childhood education. About a dozen people have already reached out about working at the facility, Berry said.

As a nonprofit, A Million Dreamz will seek funding sources outside its families. In Sheboygan, that may mean the city’s large manufacturers.

It can be difficult for shift workers to find child care in the evenings or weekends, Berry said. Factory work and other production occupations account for the largest percentage of jobs in Sheboygan County, according to BLS data. But people may miss out on those jobs if they can’t find child care, Berry said.

“I believe that by not having available child care, we’re perpetuating poverty for these families who can’t access these really great jobs,” she said. “It’s often shocking to people that there isn’t 24-hour child care available.”

Right now, there are just a handful of spots at local licensed child care facilities for overnight or Sunday care, Berry said.

More than 85 child care facilities across Wisconsin have closed due to violations since 2019. And others haven’t reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted their services in 2020. In 2020, Wisconsin had about 20,000 fewer licensed child care slots compared to 2012, according to Kids Forward.

Berry met Nena Bemis while running a day care in her home. Berry cared for Bemis’ special needs child and raised one of her own. They co-founded A Million Dreamz together, knowing it can be difficult to find child care for kids families facing different circumstances.

“We believe all kids have needs, whether they’re special or otherwise,” Berry said. “So, we want to make sure that everyone is welcome, and everyone is cared for.”

A Million Dreamz has purchased the former Sheboygan Christian School, and the organization is working on improvements to the property. The nonprofit has hosted community days, where volunteers have come to help update the building. The organization is aiming for a soft opening this spring.

The nonprofit has received a lot of community support, Berry said. However, some neighbors opposed the facility when its rezoning plan went before the city council in November due to fears that it would disrupt the peace in their residential neighborhood.

The child care facility recently launched a capital campaign and is hoping to raise $1.7 million for construction and opening costs, Berry said.