Parents: Sudden childcare center closure was ‘disappointing,’ ‘heartbreaking’

PARK TWP. — Parents of children affected by the sudden closure of Lakeshore Little People's Place Harderwyk say they were left scrambling after receiving only a day’s notice their childcare was going away, after previously being told the center would stay open. 

Lakeshore Little People’s Place announced Saturday, May 20, it would close the location on Lakewood Boulevard, effective immediately. Fifty-seven families and staff members were notified of the closure at 9 p.m. 

More:Lakeshore Little People's Place closes Harderwyk location amid staffing struggles

Megan Stephenson is a mother of three boys, all of whom attended LLPP Harderwyk at some point. Her youngest is 20 months old and was receiving care at LLPP at the time of the closure. 

She said there were days the center closed early or entirely, as was the case May 15, due to staffing issues, but parents were told it would remain open going forward. 

"Then all of a sudden, a couple days later, it was totally the opposite,” Stephenson said. “We were told the location was closing and care wouldn't be happening the next week. It was really frustrating, as a parent."

Stephenson said any attempt to give parents more than a day to find childcare would've been appreciated. 

“Even if they could've given (two weeks), that would've been a huge help,” she said. “I really wish there was more effort to accommodate parents and provide temporary options.” 

LLPP Board Member Carin Ribbens told The Sentinel there was little notice provided because the center hadn’t planned on closing. She said new staff were hired for the site the week of May 15, but more staff left the site Friday and Saturday. 

“As of the week before we closed, we intended to be open. In fact, we hired during that week,” Ribbens said. “As of late Friday night, early Saturday morning (May 19 and 20), based on communication that we received, we didn’t see how we could open and meet minimum staffing requirements based on the number of staff we had.”

She also said the board looked at “every possible scenario” Saturday before making the decision to close. 

“I can tell you, every possible scenario was discussed and gone over and laid out on paper and calculated. We could not make it work,” Ribbens said. “We did everything we could to keep it open. We understand the difficult position it put parents, families and staff in. We had no other option, no way to keep open and meet minimum requirements for our license.”

Ribbens didn't say how many employees indicated they would be leaving for confidentiality reasons.

LLPP Executive Director Colleen Walters previously said the Harderwyk location had 17 staff members, but lost eight of them during the month of May — including four between May 19 and 20.

Several parents indicated in emails to The Sentinel that staff left LLPP after requests for increased pay and benefits went unmet and that staff were upset after the site director left in mid-May.

Ribbens said she couldn't speak to the reason for staff leaving, but said each LLPP location is “run under the same umbrella” in regard to staff wages and benefits.

Centers must meet required ratios for licensing. Ratios vary depending on the age of the children, ranging from a 1:4 ratio for infants and toddlers to a 1:18 ratio for school-aged children.

The closure left 57 families searching for new childcare options, which are already hard to find in Ottawa County. According to a 2021 Michigan League for Public Policy Report, Ottawa County had twice as many children ages 0-5 as spots available in licensed childcare facilities. 

More:'I couldn't afford to work:' Holland parents struggle with cost of childcare

More:‘The workforce has not returned:’ Michigan childcare centers face staffing crisis

At that time, Ottawa County had 409 licensed providers — but only 278 of those providers were active, according to data from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

Ottawa County is attempting to address the issue, at least in part, through an investment of ARPA funds to build new childcare facilities on-site at several large employers, as well as some home-based options. But those centers won’t be available for some time. 

Stephenson said she and her husband were fortunate enough to have both of their parents living in the area and willing to help out temporarily, but they still haven’t found a permanent solution. 

If the family can’t find something soon, Stephenson said, she might have to leave her job, which she started May 30, and the family might have to consider, without a second income, pulling the two oldest children out of Holland Christian Schools.

“We spiraled down that path,” Stephenson said. “I still don’t know what the next month looks like for us. There’s still that possibility. I may have to leave the workforce and make some hard choices.”

One parent wrote to The Sentinel that the closure “has left many families in not only a childcare crisis, but has a detrimental impact on their employment statuses while they scramble to make arrangements.”

Several parents also wrote an anonymous letter to the board, signed “Displaced Families of Harderwyk LLPP.” It criticizes the board for not reaching out to families while attempting to find solutions prior to the closure.

“Parents were never contacted to consult creative solutions to address staffing problems,” it reads. “We were never asked if we could pay more to keep staff. We were never asked if we could maybe make it work until the new staff who had already been hired completed their training. We were never consulted about the care of our children — instead we were kicked to the curb with no options.” 

The letter continues, saying the response was handled poorly. 

“The way the board has handled themselves during this entire situation that they created has been incredibly disappointing,” the letter reads. “Our kids are confused and hurting. We are anxious and stressed with no long term solutions.” 

Staff members that remained at the Harderwyk site were “encouraged to apply” if positions were available at LLPP’s three other locations, Ribbens said. As of Friday, June 2, those locations were adequately staffed to continue operations. 

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Stephenson said her family had a “really great experience” with LLPP prior to the closure, which made the sudden loss more difficult. 

“For our family, who has been attending there for about three years, some others have been going longer, it felt really rude to hear (about the closure) over an email,” she said. “We had built relationships. They opened the doors the week after for us to come in and get our things. It was just heartbreaking.

“Finding childcare is one thing, but finding a place where you feel like a family is another. To have that pulled away is really disappointing.”

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.