Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee is set to scale its Blue Door Academy in Wauwatosa to cover 10 schools by 2026-27, offering comprehensive school-based care that combines supervision, homework support, and enrichment for children from Junior Kindergarten to fifth grade.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee is widening its Blue Door Academy child care programme in Wauwatosa, turning an initial pilot at Underwood Elementary into district-wide coverage across 10 schools for the 2026-27 academic year. The expansion will make it the largest Blue Door Academy footprint in the country, according to the report by TMJ4, and is due to begin on 1 September.
The programme is aimed at families who need care before school, after school and, in some cases, around Junior Kindergarten sessions. Wauwatosa School District says the service will be available to Junior Kindergarten through fifth-grade pupils, with the wraparound option designed for children whose assigned JK timetable does not fully match their parents’ working hours.
District leaders say the attraction is not just convenience, but continuity. Superintendent Demond Means told TMJ4 that families increasingly want school-based care that feels like part of the same system, rather than a separate service tacked on elsewhere. Blue Door Academy staff members say the model combines supervision with homework support, structured learning and enrichment in subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as the arts.
That broader approach is central to the organisation’s pitch. Vinnie Frias, a staff member at Blue Door Academy, told TMJ4 the programme is meant to support children’s progress academically while still giving them room to create and enjoy themselves. Nakeida Campbell, who will help oversee the programme at Wauwatosa Montessori, said the curriculum changes every nine weeks and ends with a showcase so families can see what pupils have learned.
The move also marks a change in how the district is handling before- and after-school care. Wauwatosa ended its contract with Right at School in June after confirming incidents of physically aggressive behaviour by employees towards pupils at Roosevelt and Eisenhower elementary schools, according to TMJ4. Police later reviewed the cases and closed them without charges. The school board then backed a letter of intent to work with Blue Door Academy, and the district now lists the programme as its provider for the new school year.
For families, the district says the service is intended to offer both reassurance and flexibility. Blue Door Academy says scholarships are available and that no child will be turned away because a family cannot pay. Registration for the 2026-27 school year is open, with site-specific questions directed to Jennifer Raymond at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
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