Frontenac Board Closes Kids First Daycare June 26

Kids First Daycare in Frontenac will close on June 26, ending more than two decades of service at 102 S. Cayuga Street. The daycare sent letters to parents on Wednesday, and the board said the shutdown follows rising operational costs and declining enrollment.

The closure affects 30 children and 15 employees. Lynn, a parent who started taking her infant son there a little over two months ago, said she arrived early Wednesday morning and found several staff members crying as notice of the decision was handed out.

Frontenac Daycare Notice

Lynn said she was surprised by the timing after receiving a Bright Wheel message a little over a month ago about small renovations. She said the daycare had repainted the interior, rearranged rooms and added new playground equipment before the shutdown notice arrived.

She also said the notice appeared to be left in children’s cubbies for parents to find at pick-up or drop-off. On the morning she arrived, she said, “I went to his room, like I always do, and I said, "Good morning" before I took off my sunglasses” and then heard staff say, “And the ladies were crying, they said, "This isn't a good morning at all," and they handed me this flyer.”

Board Letter To Parents

In the letter sent to parents, the board said, “This decision was not made lightly.” It added, “Rising operational costs and declining enrollment have made it no longer possible for us to sustain our program.” The board also wrote, “We have explored every option to keep our doors open, but ultimately, this unfortunate decision had to be made.”

The letter said deposit and prepaid tuition refunds will be processed by a date that was not filled in, and records and documents can be picked up beginning on a date that was not filled in. Lynn said, “I was disappointed,” and added, “So, it definitely was a surprise.”

Frontenac Child Care Options

Frontenac has two other daycare providers, Little Feats and Toddler Time, and Kelly Cumiskey-Barnes said both are licensed through the state. New Foundations is projected to open in Frontenac by early fall, leaving families with fewer nearby options in the meantime.

Lynn said, “I just hope that parents are able to find daycare for their kids and affordable daycare,” and added, “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.”