Second-shift daycare preparing for September opening

Cheryl Hentz

Contributor

August 10, 2026

OSHKOSH – For two decades, Su van Houwelingen said she has held onto an idea: childcare should work around families’ schedules, not the other way around.

That vision, she said, is now taking shape with a daycare designed to serve first- and second-shift workers.

van Houwelingen said the opportunity started in 2012 when the Oshkosh and Winnebago County Housing Authority purchased two neighboring buildings.

When her predecessor retired in 2014, she said the unused properties were left in her hands to repurpose.

One became low-income housing, van Houwelingen said, while the other became the home of a project she had envisioned for years.

She said her vision extended beyond child care, creating a space where families living in the apartments could access care while older residents could stay connected by volunteering, reading to children and sharing their time with the center.

But bringing the idea to life, van Houwelingen said, proved challenging, with a long list of requirements and regulatory hurdles to overcome.

With help from her husband, an attorney, she said she established a 501(c)(3) for the organization and began tackling the early paperwork needed to move the project forward.

Along the way, van Houwelingen said she was connected with Ty Gerber – owner of Gerber Child Development Center in Menasha – who had years of experience operating a second-shift daycare program.

“He was helping us try to figure this out,” she said. “It was going to be able to accommodate 200-250 kids. But I just couldn’t find investors or even a few banks to go in together on it, so it just didn’t happen. It was just too big of a project.”

Renewed momentum

Fast-forward to 2023, two years after she retired, and van Houwelingen said she received a call from a former colleague asking about the nonprofit’s status and whether she still planned to pursue the daycare project.

She said he told her he had a location available for a two-shift childcare center if she was ready to move forward.

And that, van Houwelingen said, got the ball rolling again. 

The “spot” her former co-worker had in mind, van Houwelingen said, was a space connected to The Corridor – a 55-unit affordable housing development under construction in the 600 block of N. Main Street, just north of downtown Oshkosh.

With help from local lawmakers and funding support from area foundations and organizations, van Houwelingen said the daycare center began to take shape, with Gerber continuing to serve as a consultant throughout the process. 

After breaking ground a little less than a year ago, van Houwelingen said the project is nearing completion, with the Oshkosh Child Development Center (OCDC) at 660 N. Main St. scheduled to open Sept. 1.

Executive Director Liz Storms said with the building being brand new, staff couldn’t gain access until May 21.

“Since then, we’ve been getting all of the classrooms together, purchasing and putting together furniture and supplies, toys and so forth,” she said. “When we stepped foot into the building, it was completely empty. The four classrooms were built, but nothing else was there. Anything that wasn’t attached to the wall, we have added.” 

van Houwelingen said the center will pay $1 per year in rent, with a projected expense budget for 2027 of $567,000.

The 2026 budget, she said, remains uncertain since the center is not scheduled to open until Sept. 1.

What it will offer

van Houwelingen said the nonprofit daycare will be the first fully licensed childcare center in the Oshkosh area to offer both first- and second-shift care, giving families who work nontraditional hours more childcare options.

Though residents of The Corridor apartments will receive priority on the enrollment waiting list, she said the center will be open to families who live or work throughout the Greater Oshkosh area.

“It’ll be market rate, and the same rate regardless of what time your child is at the center,” she said.

van Houwelingen said the Oshkosh Child Development Center will serve children from six weeks old through age 12 and operate from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Children over the age of one, she said, will receive three nutritious meals and two snacks each day, with the center following USDA nutrition guidelines.

van Houwelingen said each classroom will consist of two daytime teachers and one to two teachers during the evening hours.

An on-site executive director and assistant director, she said, will manage day-to-day operations, with oversight provided by a board of directors consisting of community members, business leaders and parents.

van Houwelingen said all 20 staff members will be licensed and complete required Department of Children and Families training, along with ongoing education.

She said the OCDC also will accept childcare assistance payments.

‘We’re a team’

Storms – who brings 15 years of experience in child care and teaching – said the center’s relationship with families will be an important part of its success, with both sides needing to be a good fit for one another. 

“It’s important that parents understand this is group care, not one-on-one – though we try to do as much one-on-one as we can,” she said. 

Storms said parents also need to be open to communication. 

“We communicate daily with families,” she said. “If we see a problem, we want to [be able to] come to parents with openness and support. We want them to be able to come with us if they have a problem, too. Open communication provides a comfort level that allows us to do the best we can together to support their children.”  

Beyond providing child care, van Houwelingen said she hopes the center can become a resource for supporting staff and families in other ways. 

“Because we’re a nonprofit, we’re hoping to build some funds into a spare pot of money that can be used if we need to help families or our staff,” she said. “For example, if someone needs a winter coat, we can provide that. Or if a staff member’s or family’s car breaks down, we can help them get it fixed so they can get to work or their kids can get to school.”

Having worked in public housing for many years, van Houwelingen said she has seen firsthand the challenges families face.

“And, if we can gain some money in the bank to be able to pay our teachers better, and maybe even offer a 401k plan for employees in the future so they can start building a little nest egg, that would be great, too,” she said.

Two shifts will benefit everyone

van Houwelingen said the extended evening hours are intended to provide childcare options for parents working second-shift jobs.

She said the schedule also can provide a break for parents, guardians and other caregivers who may need time to rest or step away for an evening. 

Storms said she hopes the center will help employers that rely on shift workers by giving families access to child care that fits their schedules. 

“They’ll be able to apply for second-shift work knowing they can access quality care from somebody they trust,” she said. 

Storms said access to reliable child care also can benefit employers by reducing absenteeism and shortened workdays caused by childcare challenges.

She said she hopes the OCDC can serve as an example for other childcare providers looking to expand services to include second-shift care.

“Having this kind of care is so needed,” she said. “Besides us and Gerber Child Development Center in Menasha, there is nothing else in the area. But it’s something needed throughout Wisconsin and the entire nation. I feel like this should be more of a norm. Hopefully this opens up more eyes and support to create more facilities like this.”

More information about the center can be found online at oshkoshchilddevelopment.org.