BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A Bangor daycare will be closing its doors in two weeks, leaving parents and teachers both upset and scrambling. Parents at Life Academy Daycare were shocked Tuesday morning when they were told the daycare would be closing. The reason given was that Grace Church, which houses the daycare, can no longer afford to keep its doors open.
"It was a complete shock, honestly, unexpected. It was very hard for all of us," said Kerrie Knaide, whose 3-year-old son attends the daycare said,
On Wednesday, parents and teachers were still processing the news. The closure will leave more than 100 kids in need of a new daycare and 19 staffers in need of a new job. For some parents, this closure is like losing their second family.
"They truly come here because they love their job and they love these kids just as much as we do, to know the bond between everyone is pretty much going to be gone. The family is pretty much broken," said Knaide.
Grace Church in the letter released to parents pointed to a shrinking congregation and low charitable donations as the reason for the decision.
"We have cut everywhere we can cut, we are heartbroken that the daycare has to close too," said Pastor Russ Hewett.
"I don't know if he fully comprehends what he has done to all of these families...that he understands what it is like as a parent of a young child to find a good day care," said mother Kylie Gray, whose son also attends the daycare.
According to Pastor Hewett, the Department of Health and Human Services will be helping parents find day cares in the area. There will be a public forum at the church Thursday for parents from 7 to 8 p..m. However, some parents said there are not very many spaces available at other daycares.
There is a complete list of daycare providers online here.
