LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The abrupt closure of a Louisville day care is bringing a spotlight to the child care shortage in Kentucky.

Monday, the St. Matthews Area Ministries Childcare Development Center announced it would close its doors on Dec. 22.

Mera Kathryn Corlett's son attends the center. She said she received the message just before 10 p.m. Monday through her son's school app.

"I recognize that this was ultimately, probably the best solution that they could have come up with, but the problem is how it was communicated, and right here at the holidays," Corlett said.

Corlett said her son was enrolled in May after spending some time on a waiting list. Only a few months later, she is now beginning a second search for a day care.

"I went and started driving around to all the child care centers that are in this area," she said. "One center told me that they had a two, two-year waiting list and not even to try, wouldn't even take my information," Corlett said.

Corlett said while the day care had to close multiple days over the course of a few months due to teachers being sick, there were no warning signs of a closure from the center.

"We picked up on the (fact) they were struggling. We picked up on the challenges with staffing, and we were OK, we were in it, we were going to help them see them through this," Corlett said. "That's what really is disturbing to me is that we got very little notice."

Julie Abbott, the executive director for the St. Matthews Area Ministries Child Development Center, said in a statement that staffing shortages were a factor.

Read her full statement here: 

"Under the Division of Regulated Childcare statute 922 KAR 2:090 Section 13(6) states, “The cabinet and the parent of a child enrolled in a child-care center shall receive notice as soon as practicable, and prior to, a child-care center’s temporary or permanent closure.”

On the evening of December 18, 2023, the St. Matthews Area Ministries Board of Directors voted to close the St. Matthews Area Ministries Child Development Center as of Friday, December 22, 2023. This decision was made based upon the on-going staff shortages & challenges to maintain & operate on a consistent, schedule for the families.  Parents & staff were notified immediately, a list of other area childcare facilities was provided as a guide to the families upon dismissal yesterday. We are trying to work with other facilities in this transition to help meet the needs of each family."

The abrupt closure highlights Kentucky's ongoing child care crisis, which heightened during and following the pandemic.

"We really do need to figure out how we can sustain that funding," Greater Louisville Inc. President and CEO Sarah Davasher-Wisdom said.

Child care funding was kept afloat during the pandemic by the federal government, but that money ended in September. Child care facilities used that money to help pay employees and to avoid raising tuition. 

After that expired, Kentucky invested another $50 million into child care. That will expire at the end of this month.

Borth Corlett and Davasher-Wisdom hope the state will commit more funding to child care as it creates its next biennial budget when lawmakers return to Frankfort in January for its session.

"We're encouraging the General Assembly to include funding in the biennial budget that will fill that gap and help keep child care funding at the current levels," Davasher-Wisdom said.

"I really believe that St. MAM is closing its doors on their child care center because of that funding being in a precarious spot," Corlett said.

Davasher-Wisdom fears if more funding is not committed to child care, more day cares could close in the new year.

"Without additional funding allocated in the next session, the loss of those federal dollars will mean the potential closure of many child care centers," Davasher-Wisdom said. 

She said Kentucky has around 1,700 child care spots, but the region is in need of 4,700 more.

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