Announcement:
The pandemic revealed how essential child care is to families, employers and communities. It also placed added strain on a fragile child care system in the United States that was especially felt by independent and non-profit organizations. The Franciscan Child Day Care Center persisted through various challenges of the past three years. Yet, despite the best efforts of our staff, families and Board, the Center was not able to recover from the financial losses of closures, increased operation costs, staffing shortages, and a 60% drop in enrollment. Recognizing that the Center is not able to continue to provide affordable child care at the level of quality desired and properly compensate caregivers for their dedicated service, the Board has made the difficult decision to close the Franciscan Child Day Care Center as of August 19, 2022.
This heartbreaking decision was made after months of exploring all our options, including a thorough review of finances and staff assessments. Caregivers have been offered incentives to stay and provide care until August 19 so that families have time to process, grieve and transition to another child care facility or caregiver.
The Franciscan Child Day Care Center offers our heartful gratitude to all the families, caregivers, staff, neighbors, Whitehall Borough and others who enabled us to serve the South Hills for 40 years. Thank you for the blessed opportunity to provide children with the tools to grow and thrive, while sharing our Franciscan values emphasizing peace, love for our neighbors, and care for the Earth.