FRONTENAC, Kan. — Kids First Daycare, located at 102 S. Cayuga Street in Frontenac, sent letters to parents on Wednesday stating the facility will shut down on June 26. The daycare has served the area for over two decades.
A mother, who asked to be referred to as Lynn, arrived at the daycare early Wednesday morning and found several staff members crying.
“I went to his room, like I always do, and I said, "Good morning" before I took off my sunglasses,” Lynn said. “And the ladies were crying, they said, "This isn't a good morning at all,” and they handed me this flyer.”
The flyer stated that the facility would close in 16 days.
“It looked like they were just leaving these in the kids' cubbies for parents to pick up, either at pick-up or drop-off, and even the staff didn't seem to know until this morning,” Lynn said.
Lynn started taking her infant son to Kids First Daycare a little over two months ago. She had previously used a home care provider but switched to Kids First Daycare because their hours fit her needs better. Lynn lives in Girard and commutes to Pittsburg for work.
“I was disappointed,” Lynn said. “I really like the women who watch my son. They're great women. And we had just gotten kind of into a group with them for about two months. They had recently increased prices, so we thought things were getting settled.”
A little over a month ago, Lynn said, she received a message through Bright Wheel, an app used for communication and payments between parents and daycare providers, that Kids First Daycare was undergoing some small renovations. Lynn said they repainted the interior, did some rearranging and also got new playground equipment.
“So, it definitely was a surprise,” Lynn said about the closure. “Because they just did all this stuff to renovate it, and now it's closing.”
“This decision was not made lightly,” the letter from the board stated. “Rising operational costs and declining enrollment have made it no longer possible for us to sustain our program. We have explored every option to keep our doors open, but ultimately, this unfortunate decision had to be made.”
Another section of the letter stated, “Deposit/prepaid tuition refunds will be processed by – not sure if this is applicable” and “Records and documents can be picked up beginning – not sure if this is applicable.”
The facility currently has 30 children in its care and 15 employees, several who are elderly.
Lynn said she called her former home care provider, who had a spot available for her son.
“I just hope that parents are able to find daycare for their kids and affordable daycare,” she said. “Because it's just not super easy to find around here with, wait lists and then tuition. My heart goes out to the staff there, too. They were so upset and that was tough.”
A Kids Care Daycare board member could not be reached by deadline for comment.
Daycare Providers
Although a new childcare facility, New Foundations, is projected to open in Frontenac by early fall, the Kids First Daycare closure leaves the area with one less provider.
A quick search revealed that Frontenac has two other daycare providers, Little Feats and Toddler Time but it is unknown whether they have openings.
Kelly Cumiskey-Barnes, childcare licensing specialist at the Crawford County Health Department, confirmed that both Little Feats and Toddler Time are licensed through the state. She is encouraging parents to ensure that any daycare they consider has its state-issued license.
A few licensed providers in Pittsburg include:
Pittsburg Child Care Community Learning Center – 502 E. 20th Street, $140 per week under 2.5 years, $120 per week for ages 2.5 to kindergarten. The facility currently has a total of 9 openings. Part-time care is also available.
Grow at Eden – 205 S. Locust Street, $245 per week for infants to 12 months, $225 per week for 12 months to 35 months, and $185 per week for 36 months and up. The facility has 194 openings.
Family Resource Center – 1600 N. Walnut, $165 per week for infants to 2.5 years, $155 per week for 2.5 years to kindergarten. The Morning Sun could not reach the coordinator to determine whether the facility had openings.
These three providers also accept the Child Care Assistance Program through Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). Grow at Eden Owner Kandy Rushing said 50 percent of Grow at Eden’s enrollment is paid with childcare assistance.
If a family size of two makes less than $5,439 a month, they are eligible for assistance. A family of three must have an income less than $6,719 per month to qualify. For more information on other qualifications, visit dcf.ks.gov/.
Cumiskey-Barnes provided some insight for families looking for a new provider.
“Searching for child care can be a daunting process for parents,” she wrote in an email. “It is extremely important that parents ask to see a childcare facility's state-issued license; do not just take their word for it. Request to tour a Family Child Care Home or Center during hours of operation to see what a typical day would look like for your child.”
Other questions parents should ask, Cumiskey-Barnes said, include the facility’s polices regarding safe sleep, supervision and behavior management. She suggested parents also ask providers to show them where children will nap.
“It is just as much an interview for the parents as it is for the facility,” Cumiskey-Barnes wrote. “It needs to be a good fit for everyone.”
For questions regarding a facility’s licensure, email kcumiskey@crawfordcountykansas.org.
