Update: May 8, 2025

Rising Sun Child Care Has Purchased Our Shepherd Childcare

A note from Ashley Arnoldussen, Owner, Rising Sun Child Care

Dear Our Shepherd Families and Staff,

I’m so excited to share that the purchase of Our Shepherd Childcare by my husband Nick and I, through our business Rising Sun Child Care, is now official! We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue serving your families and are happy to let you know that we are staying open with no expected closures during this transition.

For now, the center will continue operating under Our Shepherd’s current license while we wait for our Rising Sun Child Care license to be approved — a process we expect will take a few months. During that time, we’ll begin gradually introducing Rising Sun’s policies and procedures, and we promise to keep you informed every step of the way.

We know you may have questions, so we’d like to invite you to a Parent Meeting on Wednesday, May 14th at 5:30 PM. You're welcome to bring your children, but please note that no childcare will be provided during the meeting.

For our amazing staff, we’ll also be holding an Employee Meeting on Monday, May 12th at 5:30 PM to go over next steps and answer any questions you may have.

We want to give a heartfelt thank-you to the Our Shepherd team for their support and collaboration throughout this transition. Their commitment to the children and families has been incredible, and we’re so thankful to be stepping into such a caring and dedicated community.

Our number one priority has always been, and will continue to be, the children. We’re excited about the future and truly appreciate your support and patience as we move through this process together.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions — I’m always happy to connect.

Warmly,
Ashley Arnoldussen (on behalf of Nick and the entire Rising Sun team)

Update: April 16, 2025

Potential Sale of Our Shepherd Childcare

To the families and staff who are part of the Our Shepherd family. Last week on Tuesday we shared the difficult message that our last day of operations would be Friday, May 30. We also shared that during this period, we would explore the possibility of transferring ownership to another licensed childcare provider, in hopes of continuing services at the current location.

We are excited to share that Rising Sun Child Care, a well-respected licensed childcare provider in the valley, is interested in purchasing the business and continuing care for the children and providing jobs for our staff. We are currently working on a plan to collaborate with them as we are transitioning from running the childcare center under our license to their license. The plan would be to see this transition through without interrupting childcare.

While nothing has been finalized our discussions have gone well and we are comfortable bringing this news to you at this time. We have been working hard to finalize details and to get the legal papers drawn up. Once again, nothing has been finalized but we are optimistic that the Lord will bless our efforts, and a deal will be finalized soon.

With Gratitude,

Bethany Lutheran Church
Our Shepherd Childcare

Update: April 8, 2025

Notice of Closing

With heartfelt appreciation for the families and staff who have been part of our community, we are writing to share that Our Shepherd Childcare will be closing in the near future due to current market conditions.

While this decision was not made lightly, we want to assure you that every effort will be made to support a smooth transition. Today, Tuesday, April 8, we informed the licensing agency that our last day of operations would be Friday, May 30. This was done to comply with the required 30-day notice, as outlined by the State of Wisconsin.

During this period, we will explore the possibility of transferring ownership to another licensed childcare provider, in hopes of continuing services at the current location. However, please be aware that services may come to a complete close and the property may be sold.

We understand this news may bring uncertainty, and we are here to support you. Families seeking new childcare arrangements and staff looking for employment opportunities are encouraged to reach out to Child Care Resource and Referral at 920-886-1211 for assistance.

Thank you for the trust you have placed in us over the years. It has been our honor to care for your children and be a part of your lives.