TOOELE, Utah — Affordable childcare is rarely an easy find, and in Tooele, parents learned this week that their local daycare will be shutting its doors for good in just a matter of days.
“What are we going to do now?” asked Rachel Defa, whose child attends Overlake Academy.
On Monday, Defa received an email she wasn't expecting as Overlake Academy announced it would close at the end of the month.
“[I'm] trying to figure out how to quickly pivot from everything we’ve known for me personally, from the past five years,” she said Friday. “Stressful, overwhelming, I felt panicked, probably just like all of the other parents.”
I went to the daycare to ask more questions, but they only provided a statement saying the decision was made "after evaluation of operational factors."
“Tooele County is already stretched thin in the childcare area, and displacing over 150-200 kids, along with all of the employees, is very stressful and overwhelming," Defa said.
Other parents have raised concerns on Facebook, asking where to go next/
Stepping Stones Childcare nearby has open enrollment and partners with the state. People have already started to reach out to be shown around, and they said all families are welcome to enroll.
“We accept them all," explained Stepping Stones director Jena Dickerson. "We do also offer work with DWS with subsidies for those who cannot afford to pay for daycare; we work hand-in-hand with DWS.”
Stepping Stones also has smaller classes, and they teach daily lessons with an aim to help children prepare for their next steps, while encouraging children to get off screens and into hands-on learning.
