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Wauwatosa day care closing; families scramble
Families tell FOX6 News they are scrambling to find quality child care after a Wauwatosa day care announced it will be shutting down in June.
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - Families tell FOX6 News they are scrambling to find quality child care after a Wauwatosa day care announced it will be shutting down in June.
Day care shutting down
What we know:
Paige Jorgensen Hutson told FOX6 News it has been nothing short of a challenge to find a new day care for her son, Harvey. Harvey was both with a congenital heart defect that required heart surgery as a newborn.
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"He had some special handling instructions. So he came in with a little bit of a disclaimer on him," Jorgensen Hutson said. "But everyone in the whole staff, including the 4-year-old teachers, were trained on how to handle my son and his condition."
Paige Jorgensen Hutson and son, Harvey
Harvey is enrolled at the Pilgrim Child Development Center, owned by Pilgrim Lutheran Church. Now, families are forced to move their children elsewhere after the church announced the center will shut down on June 12, 2026.
Message to parents
What they're saying:
In a message sent to parents, the church said on Feb.1, that its congregation voted to close the center. Parents said they were notified three days later.
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On Friday morning, Feb. 13, FOX6 News spoke with a church leader about the decision. They did not want to go on camera, but said it was a decision that has been considered for years. Low staffing numbers and limited resources are the biggest reasons to close.
Search for potential buyers
What's next:
Jorgensen Hutson said families are not looking for potential buyers to take over the property and run the day care.
"We as parents now want to see, is there a possibility to keep this center running in some capacity, even if it’s not directly affiliated with the church," Jorgensen Hutson said.
Paige Jorgensen Hutson
Church officials said they are joining the search too. But as staff members find new jobs and parents find new centers, the day care could shut down before summer.
Officials said the June deadline was set to align with the end of the school year. They do not plan to sell the property, unless new ownership is willing to keep the center as a faith-based day care.
The Source: Information in this post is from FOX6 News interviews and an email sent to parents.