Red Caboose Child Care Center, Inc.

Red Caboose fosters a sense of community among children, their families, and staff, with a commitment to diversity and inclusion. We provide excellent education, nutrition, and play-based learning for children in a nurturing, safe environment emphasizing healthy social-emotional development.

About Red Caboose

Founded by a group of parents in 1972, Red Caboose Child Care Center is Madison’s oldest independent child care center. For more than 50 years, we have provided children with nurturing care and early education while working to make those opportunities affordable for families. As our community’s needs have grown, so have we: today, Red Caboose also offers after-school and summer camp programs for school-age children. Our child care center is located at 2346 Winnebago Street.

Red Caboose was the first center to meet the City of Madison’s child care accreditation standards. Our history was also featured in The Good-Bye Window: A Year in the Life of a Day-Care Center, published by the University of Wisconsin Press.

Why Red Caboose?

• Care rooted in community. Madison families have helped shape and sustain Red Caboose since its founding.
• Access for more families. Our sliding-scale tuition takes family income into account because we believe every child deserves exceptional care.
• Food prepared on site. Nutritious meals and snacks are included in our child care program.
• Experienced, committed staff. Our teachers build lasting relationships with children and families, and some have dedicated decades to Red Caboose.
• A unionized workplace. Our staff are represented by the Wisconsin Child Care Union.