MILWAUKEE — Like many new parents, Emilie O’Neil was conflicted about going back to work after having her baby.

She found a solution at Le Village in Milwaukee’s Brewer's Hill neighborhood. 

Le Village offers parents the chance to pay a private membership fee for a coworking space and a day care for their children all under one roof. The only condition is that parents must stay onsite while their child is there and take a one-hour lunch break with them.

“For me, the other option was just not seeing my daughter five days a week,” O’Neil said. “So, this is a perfect blend. I get to have focused work time, but I also get to have lunch with her. I can go back and play with her at any time. I feel like I am a good mom and a good employee.”

Le Village owner Kellie Overton saw a huge need in southeast Wisconsin for a space that combines work and child care.

“It is completely different than anything that exists in Wisconsin,” Overton said. “We offer onsite coworking for our parents to be here while the children are receiving child care, what we call village care.”

Overton used Le Village when she was a new mom living in Chicago. That’s where the concept originated. It made such a difference in her life that she decided to open one when they moved to Milwaukee.

“I made a ton of mom friends, which you know how hard that can be, and I had the support that I needed, and my child was getting the best of class care,” said Overton.

Le Village has programs that mix learning and play for babies and toddlers, and certified staff to work with them.

“We are focused on a curriculum called ‘Waldessori,’ which is half Waldorf and half Montessori,” Overton said. “It really allows the opportunity for the child to tell us what their learning style is.” 

Overton said more than anything, it’s about creating a supportive community for parents, who all too often share the same struggles of trying to do it all.

“You might be sitting next to a realtor, and you might need to buy a house, so you are like, ‘okay, I know this person, I see them all the time, I see their children,’” O’Neil described. “And then, there are always kids that are older too, so you’re like, ‘okay I am phasing out of this bouncer, do you want this bouncer?’ You are surrounded by other parents, and you all know what parenthood is like.” 

The workspace also offers a wellness room with a Peloton Bike, a Mother’s Room, and an outdoor patio for families to use. Monthly memberships range from $200-$1,800.