The Rockford Day Nursery Had Been Around Over 100 Years. It Just Abruptly Closed.

November 22, 2024

Original coverage on NPR by Peter Medlin.

The Rockford Day Nursery had been around for over 100 years. Late last week, it abruptly closed, leaving dozens of kids without child care services overnight.

Livia Bane with Birth to Five Illinois says losing child care can be devastating for families.

“Maybe they end up in less safe care environments," she said, "because parents have to work, or something like this could absolutely cause a parent to lose their job if they're unable to secure care."

Rockford already has a childcare shortage. There are nearly 12,000 kids between 0 and 5 years old -- and the childcare capacity for about half of them.

Bane says, for families who are affected, there are groups like the YWCA who can help give them more information -- but, ultimately, it’s up to parents to arrange care.

“My advice is to keep calling, keep asking, keep advocating," she said. "You know, a lot of families get put in a pretty difficult place."

It’s not clear why the Rockford Day Nursery closed so soon. Other area childcare centers say they’re seeing an increase in parents seeking services, but they just don’t have room for them all.