Infants in need of daycare
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Nazareth Academy Day Care is reorganizing into a pre-school, which means 45 toddlers will need to find a new day care.
Also, 14 employees will need to find new jobs.
The day care and pre-school opened in 1977 catering to 2- to 4- year-olds.
About five years ago, the day care began to take care of children aged newborn and up, said Scott Kloesel, principal.
But starting Aug. 18, that will change when the school reorganizes as a pre-school for 3- and 4-year-olds, Kloesel said.
Kloesel, members of the corporate board and advisory council decided the best way to focus on education – the school’s mission – would be to go back to solely being a pre-school.
“We want to be able to provide a quality Catholic education for our family,” Kloesel said. “We’ve decided returning to a pre-school would be the best way to do so.”
The school still will provide before-school services beginning at 7 a.m. and after-school services ending at 5:30 p.m. for the students who attend the school.
“Our concern has been whether we can continue to provide quality child care that our parents expect from their child care providers while serving the wide range of ages of children,” Kloesel said.
Many parents were shocked to receive a letter telling them that day care services were ending.
“I was very surprised when I received my letter,” Paul Hoelscher said. “I think it put a lot of people in a bind.”
Hoelscher and his wife Jo, Lynn, parents of three, had to look for a day care for their 2-year-old son, Nathan.
“I had to do a lot of calling around and just got very lucky that we found a day care,” Hoelscher said.
Some parents are having difficulties trying to find a day care that is not full and can care for their infant.
“We have received a lot of calls but we just don’t have any room,” Kathy Patton, director of A+ Kidz Care Learning Center, said. “Not many day cares take infants, and the ones that do are full.”
The First Baptist Day Care has enrolled 17 children who previously attended Nazareth Day Care and has taken five applications from employees who will be without a job, said Kim Gisler, assistant director for the First Baptist Day Care.
“It’s hard because we were not prepared for this at all,” Gisler said. “Parents began calling us and leaving messages when they found out they were going to need a new day care.”
The First Baptist Day Care is full, but does have a waiting list.
“It took everyone by surprise and you can see the desperation in the parents’ eyes,” Gisler said.
Pamela Hawkins, parent of 2-year-old Ivy, said she was in shock to see the program done away with, but will send her daughter back to Nazareth Academy when she turns 3.
“The school has a phenomenal program and Principal Kloesel just did what was right for the children and the school,” Hawkins said.
Eva Cooke, caregiver for the 6-week to 1-year-olds, is one of the 14 employees looking for a new job.
“I was in disbelief when I found out,” said. “We thought there was going to be a downsize in the program.”
Under the Texas Catholic Conference Education Department, the new governing body of the pre-school, teachers of the pre-school program will need an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
The day care is run under the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which does not require a degree.
“We’re like a family,” Cooke said. “Most of the time the students begin here as infants and we are able to see them grow.”
“I am very grateful to our employees and proud of the services they have done,” Kloesel said.
“Like with any change, there is a positive and a negative,” Kloesel said. “We are happy to have the pre-school program but sad to lose the staff and children.”
NAZARETH ACADEMY DAY CARE
In 1977 the day care, pre-school and after-school care for 2- to 4-year-olds began.
Infants to 2-year-olds began attending about five years ago.
About 45 infants will be in need of a new day ...
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NAZARETH ACADEMY DAY CARE
In 1977 the day care, pre-school and after-school care for 2- to 4-year-olds began.
Infants to 2-year-olds began attending about five years ago.
About 45 infants will be in need of a new day care beginning Aug. 18.
Fourteen employees will no longer work for the day care.
The schools will be governed under the Texas Catholic Conference Education Department.
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im in shock. my kids go to nazareth academy and have for 4 years now. i dont know whats going on but im sure the staff could have done a better job of letting the parents and caregivers more notice. the daycare was just accepting applications a few months ago. i know they have a new director, maybe that wasnt such a great idea. now im confused does my 4 year old go to preschool or N.A.? did i just buy him uniforms for nothing? am i paying tuition for 2 instead of 1? i am very involved in my kids education, even volunteer, but im so in the dark and things need to change this school year.
August 1, 2008 at 3:06 p.m.I'm sorry to hear that parents are having to go through this ordeal. I can honestly say I would be upset if this happened at the daycare where my son goes, but we'll have to trust that this was for the best. Good luck to the parents searcing for a new daycare and to the ex-employees searching for a new job!
July 31, 2008 at 4:12 p.m.Then if no money is coming, why are you not polling the churches for support. They do that up north. No Catholic church cares about 45 babies? This is a major sin. I feel really bad for the parents as you say keeping infants is one of the hardest jobs in the world. And roomful. They have to have angel wings.
July 31, 2008 at 3:24 p.m.chattykatty - the "Church" doesn't run Nazareth Academy. It is a Catholic school but no church runs or pays for the school. No money comes from the Diocese of Victoria. The Sisters own the school and have since the mid 1800s. The only Catholic school in town that gets money from a Church is OLV.
urbanangel - if you registered then speak with the Sister about getting that money back. They shouldn't keep your money if you paid for a service that is no longer available.
July 31, 2008 at 2:58 p.m.This decision was not one that was made in haste. Board meetings took place throughout the entire summer where many different scenarios were discussed. One of the biggest problems is finding good help. You want decent people, who can pass a background check, to watch your children but it is hard to find that kind of help for minimum wage. If you can't keep a staff, you can't have a facility. Period. Simple as that.
As for the amount of time, how much, do you complaining, think should be given? Unfortunately, it will be the hardest for those parents who have infants because so few places take infants. Why? Infants, due to a teacher/child ratio, don't make money unless you charge way more than what is normal for our area. Even if these families had been given six months, they might not have a place to send their children.
What about the teachers that were let go? They can't stick around waiting for everyone to find a new spot for their child. They also need to be on the lookout for a new job. Many of the veterans of the daycare were WONDERFUL ladies and will sorely missed. If the state of Texas didn't specify that pre-k teachers have to be certified then we wouldn't have this mess.
The Nazareth Academy family talked this over, prayed about it, cried about it, and this is the best route for the school. If the daycare can't be run effectively, and with competent caregivers, then it needed to be shut down.
July 31, 2008 at 2:55 p.m.This is so not right! I've been watching my nieces and nephews in my home and have been for almost two years now and I would never give my brother or sister that short of a notice! My brother has been at his job since he was 16 and now is 45 years old and is still there.If I were to give such a short notice there would be a big chance that he could lose his job over something like this.His wife is a teacher and has to be there for her students and if she'd have to quit it would not only be devastating to her and her students but it would also put her family in a huge financial burden.I feel for you parents that are going threw this.It's a little nerve wrecking to find a day care that's suitable and that you trust to take care of your precious children.
Never thought I'd read an article on something as careless as this especially coming from Nazareth Academy where I know parents pay a load of money to send there kids there.
July 31, 2008 at 12:53 p.m.Now see, wouldn't this be a better place to put funds to help these children have safe harbor during the day and local people have jobs.
Instead ask yourself how much the Church is funding for aiding and abetting illegal aliens versus these babies. This is a real shame. Churches are suppose to be there for the community.
July 31, 2008 at 11:38 a.m.Woulda been nice if they had made that decision before taking everyone's checks for re-enrollment. I still have yet to have my check returned to me.
July 31, 2008 at 10:06 a.m.