London Bridge Child Care has announced that it will permanently close all of its Before and After School Programs in Huron County, as well as the Preschool Program at Bluewater Coast School.
The preschool program will end on August 29th, while before and after school care will continue until Friday, September 26th. Families using these programs will not be charged tuition fees for the month of September to give them time to find other care options.
The closures will affect programs at Exeter Elementary, Precious Blood, and Bluewater Coast schools.
London Bridge says the decision comes after many discussions and was not made lightly. The organization has faced ongoing staffing shortages, especially with recruiting and keeping qualified early childhood educators in rural areas like Huron County.
Children from the Bluewater Coast Preschool Program will be offered spaces at the Relouw Early Childhood Learning Centre in Exeter, beginning September 2nd. Staff from the affected programs are also being offered new employment opportunities at the West Huron and Relouw Centres.
Families who want to continue using before and after school care until September 26th are asked to email Carrie Snook, Director of Operations, at csnook@londonbridge.com. If London Bridge does not hear from families, they will assume care is no longer needed.
London Bridge says it understands how disruptive this news is for families and thanks them for their trust and support over the years. The organization says it will continue to advocate for solutions to the workforce shortages affecting the child care sector.
myFM is currently in contact with London Bridge for more details.