American University’s Child Development Center will close on August 30, 2024, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Treasurer Bronté Burleigh-Jones announced Monday.
Burleigh-Jones said challenges with staffing and enrollment ultimately led to the decision. The Center has also run a “substantial annual deficit over the past four years,” the email said.
Due to increased remote and hybrid work in recent years, more families have sought part-time or more flexible childcare hours, which Burleigh-Jones said the Center does not provide. Additionally, she wrote that there is a shortage of childcare teachers in the region, leaving vacant positions.
“This has led to ongoing staffing challenges impacting CDC operations and our families, reaching a critical point this summer when we had to close the Center for a week,” she wrote.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment averaged 30 students aged two and a half to six years old. After returning to in-person learning, the Center has had an average of 20 students. This summer, there are 18 students enrolled, according to the email.
The Center — located on the south side of campus, behind Letts and Anderson Halls — serves the student, staff, faculty and alumni communities at the University, as well as Wesley Seminary families. Children without AU affiliations were also welcome to apply, according to their website.
Burleigh-Jones wrote that full-year tuition subsidies would be provided to families from the Center who enroll at the University’s backup care provider, Bright Horizons. Current tuition at the Center ranges from $1,400-1,700 a month. Bright Horizons has guaranteed space for each child currently enrolled at the Center.
“The Center has served the AU community for many years and numerous faculty, staff, students, and alumni have fond family memories from the CDC that will always be part of their AU story,” Burleigh-Jones wrote. “We will continue working with our CDC families throughout the summer to help facilitate an effective transition.”
This article was edited by Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Ella Rousseau.
