BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — Some parents in Bartlesville are scrambling to find childcare after Ivy Academies announced it is shutting down all of its daycares in Bartlesville and the Owasso-Sperry area.
2 News Oklahoma spoke to one mom who says she has only two days to find childcare for her son.
"Three days, to try and find another child care facility, I was kind of in shock, and in disbelief,' says Rachel Swindell.
Monday night, Swindell received an email from Ivy Academy West, saying Thursday will be the daycare's last day open.
Swindell says her son Lucas has been attending this daycare for almost two years. She also says it took her almost two years just to get Lucas accepted into the daycare because of the waitlist.
"To be given three days and then you know it took you two years to get into this one. What does someone think someone can do in three days when you're closing down two of what I would consider the best centers in Bartlesville."
Swindell says it's put her family in a difficult situation since she and her husband both work full-time jobs.
"It's not gonna work. My first option is my mother-in-law who is 86 or 87 years old. Can she stay with my son? Yes. Should she have to watch my son five days a week, eight hours a day before he can go to preschool? No."
In a letter to parents, the owner says she's lost federal funding that was administered through two tribes and has been fighting for more than two years to get it back but with no success. Swindell says aside from the stress of finding a new daycare, she's also sad for her son, who loves his classmates and teachers
"My son has gotten attached to the teachers and his little friends, how do you explain to a three-year-old what's happening? After Thursday, you're not gonna see them anymore. After Thursday, your routine is completely gone."
Trending Stories:
- 'Biggest fraud in a generation': The looting of the Covid relief plan known as PPP
- DOWNLOAD the 2 News Oklahoma app for alerts
- Fatal accident leads to building fire, Sperry police say
- FOLLOW 2 News Oklahoma on Facebook
- Black Men in White Coats program coming to Tulsa
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
