Rethinking the Rules: A New Way to Build Childcare
At Windy Hill Play, we are building something new — not just a childcare center, but a model of care that reflects our highest aspirations. We are guided by the belief that childcare can be more than classrooms, schedules, and standard practices. It can be a thriving, human-centered ecosystem where children, families, and caregivers all flourish together.
Change is not easy. The habits of “how things have always been done” are strong, and it can be tempting to follow familiar templates. But we are seeing possibilities all around us: playgrounds transformed into integrated play villages, spaces designed for exploration rather than repetition; co-ops and shared care communities where families and caregivers collaborate; environments that welcome children not just as participants in care, but as active contributors to their own growth. These examples inspire us to rethink what’s possible — and to ask ourselves how we can do the same in our own community.
Why Rethinking Matters
Most childcare centers operate according to a predictable structure: administrative costs, regulatory compliance, insurance, and facilities take priority, often because systems reward efficiency over human connection. While these elements are essential, they can unintentionally overshadow the people at the center of care — the caregivers.
When we began planning Windy Hill Play, we looked to industry norms to understand how resources are typically allocated. Everything we read, every benchmark we examined, and every conversation with experienced operators reinforced the same model. And yet, it didn’t fully resonate. We realized that following a pattern just because it exists is not enough. We wanted to explore a new approach — one that reflects our values and the evolving possibilities we see in the world of care today.
A Question That Guides Us
If tradition says one thing, and possibility says another, which do we follow?
For us, the guiding question is: How can we direct resources to the people who make care meaningful — the caregivers — while still honoring necessary structures like compliance, insurance, and administration? How can we create a model that nurtures connection, community, and well-being without being constrained by habits or assumptions?
The answer is not a simple flip of a formula. It requires intention, creativity, and careful design. But we believe it is possible — and necessary — to build a system that values people first and efficiency second.
Investing in Caregivers
At Windy Hill Play, we are committed to putting caregivers at the center of our resource planning. By providing fair compensation, professional development, and a supportive environment, we enable caregivers to focus on what matters most: forming meaningful relationships with children and families.
Investing in caregivers is not just the right thing to do — it is the most practical way to ensure our community standards are being upheld. When caregivers feel supported, respected, and empowered, children thrive, families trust the system, and the broader community benefits from a culture of care that radiates beyond the classroom.
Building a System Aligned With Our Values
We are designing a childcare model that is both responsible and visionary. That means creating systems where resources flow transparently, decisions are intentional, and accountability is woven into every layer. It means building structures that can hold our values as we grow, ensuring that integrity, trust, and respect are never compromised.
Our board, composed of dedicated community members, provides guidance and oversight. Transparency is not a compliance checkbox — it is an essential part of modeling a childcare economy that people can believe in. Families, caregivers, and supporters can see how resources are used, and why those choices matter.
What Sets Us Apart
Windy Hill Play is inspired by the innovation happening across the country: integrated play villages, shared care co-ops, and spaces that celebrate children as active participants in their own learning. Our difference is in how we choose to integrate these ideas with our own values and community context:
Community-rooted resources: Funding is intentionally directed to strengthen caregivers and programming, rather than just covering administrative costs.
Human-centered budgeting: Every decision prioritizes the people who interact with children daily.
Transparency and accountability: Families and supporters understand where resources go and why.
Sustainability with integrity: Growth is approached thoughtfully, ensuring that the culture of care remains intact.
A Forward-Looking Philosophy of Care
Rethinking childcare is about more than budgets or classroom design — it’s about reimagining care itself. We see care as an economy of relationships, collaboration, and shared responsibility. Children learn best when supported by a network of attentive adults, peers, and community resources. Caregivers thrive when recognized, empowered, and supported. Families flourish when welcomed as partners in a system designed to nurture their children.
This philosophy also requires us to creatively navigate broader systems — nonprofit frameworks, regulations, and community partnerships — while still prioritizing human connection. By focusing on people first, we can design a model that works within existing structures while elevating what really matters.
Learning From Small-Scale Successes
Even as a small organization, we have already prioritized putting resources into caregiver support. This has allowed us to build trust, form meaningful relationships, and provide high-quality care. But we also recognize that growth will require new strategies. Expanding our reach doesn’t just mean adding classrooms or staff — it means scaling thoughtfully, ensuring that our culture, values, and care-centered approach remain intact.
Questions we ask ourselves include:
How do we maintain trust and connection while welcoming more children and families?
How do we grow without letting efficiency or tradition dilute our culture?
How can we continue to invest in caregivers as the system evolves?
Resources Circulated With Purpose
Money and resources are tools to create culture. By directing them thoughtfully, we can strengthen relationships, reinforce values, and ensure that care is visible in every action. Families can see the tangible impact of their support, and caregivers feel valued in ways that go beyond paychecks.
Accountability, transparency, and intention ensure that every decision reflects our philosophy: care comes first, and systems serve people, not the other way around.
Looking Ahead
This newsletter series focuses on what makes Windy Hill Play unique: our philosophy, values, and approach to building care-centered systems. In the next series, we will share our growth vision — where we are in creating Bacon Street, the future home of Windy Hill Play, and how our story is unfolding.
For now, we hope this inspires you to imagine what childcare could be when designed with care at its core. Change is possible. We are seeing it happen all around us, and we are building it here, too.
Join Us in Building the Future of Care
Windy Hill Play is more than a childcare center. It is a community experiment in values-driven design. Families, supporters, and caregivers are all essential partners in this work. By supporting our model, you help create a system where care, trust, and human connection are prioritized — a system that is sustainable, accountable, and forward-looking.
Together, we can prove that childcare can be visionary and practical, nurturing and sustainable. The rules may be familiar, but they do not have to define what is possible. By asking new questions, imagining new possibilities, and acting with intention, we are showing a new way forward: a childcare model built on care, integrity, and community.
Support Our “Play Is the Blueprint” Campaign
We’re building Bacon Street, the future home of Windy Hill Play—a childcare village in the heart of Durham. This space will bring our unique model to life on a strong foundation, creating a thriving community for children, families, and caregivers. Join us in shaping the next chapter of play, learning, and connection.