Women’s Fund of Door County Received Third $100,000 Ford Foundation Grant

Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (April 24, 2024) – The Women’s Fund of Door County announced today that it received a third $100,000 grant award from the Ford Foundation. The Women’s Fund of Door County will use the Ford Foundation funds to create long-term solutions for the peninsula’s ongoing childcare shortage.

“We are honored and inspired that the Ford Foundation chose the Women’s Fund of Door County to receive another grant, which will allow us to continue partnering with local childcare providers to improve access and affordability of childcare in Door County” says Annika Paulsen, chair of the Childcare Committee for the Women’s Fund of Door County. “The challenges associated with cost and availability of childcare will require unique problem-solving and collaboration and we are excited to continue the granting we have been doing over the past two years.”

According to the United Way of Door County, the average cost of home-based childcare in Door County is $800 per child per month while a childcare center costs $1,000 per child per month. As a result, a single income of $30,000 could use 40% of their income for the care of one child.

Of the approximately 1,000 children under the age of five in Door County, there are 288 spots available at a licensed or certified provider. Approximately 50 children receive care from family members, which leaves 662 children with childcare of an unknown quality. As a result, the Women’s Fund of Door County is working to find solutions to increase the number of childcare spots available.

Continuing the work started with previous Ford Foundation grant awards, the Women’s Fund of Door County will work with local experts and community partners to offer solutions to local childcare needs. Current efforts include a co-funded community childcare coordinator position at the United Way of Door County; certifying students in Red Cross babysitter training; supporting local childcare centers; assisting in-home childcare providers; and partnering with local businesses and governments to help offset the cost of childcare for employees. The goal of these efforts is to increase the number of affordable childcare slots for the local community.

“The childcare shortage in Door County impacts every person,” adds Paulsen. “The lack of affordable and accessible childcare creates a major workforce shortage. It makes it challenging, and for some families, impossible to live in Door County…We have a shortage of workers in every area but especially in the healthcare and hospitality industries, which significantly rely on female employees of childbearing and childrearing age.”

According to the United Way of Door County, since the pandemic, the lack of affordable childcare has resulted in a 6% increase in unemployment for women with children under the age of six. With parents unable to work because of the lack of childcare, the childcare crisis costs Door County taxpayers an estimated $9.48 million every year in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.

“We know that the shortage of affordable and reliable childcare affects all communities,” says Hilary Pennington, Ford Foundation executive vice president of programs. “The Ford Foundation is proud to partner with the Women’s Fund of Door County for a third year to address the childcare needs in this unique community. Through the Women’s Fund of Door County’s strategic and systematic approach, we are confident in their ability to build partnerships and address childcare challenges in a meaningful and long-lasting way that will benefit both Door County families and the broader community.”

The Ford Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit grant-making organization with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. For more than 85 years it has worked with courageous people on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

The Women’s Fund has kicked off a collaborative community engagement process to deploy the funds for maximum impact. To learn more about the mission and vision of the Women’s Fund of Door County and keep updated on the organization’s work, visit https://womensfunddoorcounty.org/.