Central closing its daycare after 18 years

Parents are scurrying to find a new daycare after Central Church of Christ announced Friday that it’s closing its facility effective Aug. 31.

Central has offered daycare services for the past 18 years and Reba Prater has been the director for all those years.

‘I guess you could say I’ve been the grandma up there since it opened,’ said Prater, who is still spry at 76. She says she hasn’t decided what she’ll do when the daycare closes. ‘I guess I’ll twiddle my thumbs. I’ll miss it.’

Parents and daycare employees were all given the same notice on Friday and most were taken by surprise. The daycare has seven employees.

‘I know the parents were shocked and some of them have already started to call around,’ said Prater. ‘I know of one person who already has another spot. This is a six-week notice so we figure everybody should be able to find something else in that time.’

Prater said Central’s daycare took an enrollment hit last year with more older student enrolling in the school system’s pre-K classes. Sagging enrollment was also a topic mentioned by Central elder Jimmy Griffith.

‘We couldn’t keep enough students to make it pay its way,’ said Griffith, who said enrollment had dropped to 30 children. ‘It’s been nip and tuck as far as being self supporting.’

Griffith said it was a difficult decision to make and he hopes parents don’t have a hard time getting their children into other facilities.

‘I hope people can find a good place for their children. That’s my main concern,’ said Griffith.