Tulsa Daycare Center Shuts Down Permanently Without Notice

Some parents said they are surprised after a popular daycare in Tulsa suddenly closed its doors.

Day Schools had been open near 21st and Sheridan for decades. Parents said that last Monday they found out the daycare would temporarily close after some staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

Then a few days later, they discovered the center would stay closed.

Laci Stocks said she had to find back-up childcare one week ago when Day Schools closed for cleaning. She said Friday she got another call from the day care.

"As far as all these parents that have nowhere to go for your kids, especially when you're working full-time and you depend on them. I'm a single mom, I have to scramble to find back-up when the facility I depend on isn't available and to shut down completely with no notice right before the weekend," Stocks said.

Other parents said they haven't been officially notified of the situation by the day care.

"I found out through an old coworker they were just choosing to close and not open back up," Christina Perez said.

Perez used to work at Day Schools, and her three kids have attended the day care. She said it was very family-oriented and felt like home, which is why she's frustrated at how it's closing.

"You just, you don't do that to people, there should have been some kind of two week notice, even for the teachers. You don't just up and decide one day that you're not going to open back up," Perez said

Perez and Stocks both say they wish for the parents' and teachers' sake, it should have been handled better.

"It is a shocker, I've talked to a couple of parents and a couple of staff, and it's out of the blue. They've been in Tulsa for a very long time," Stocks said.

The owner said he understands why parents are upset, but he doesn't have enough staff to re-open with people testing positive for COVID-19.

He said it wasn't possible to give more of a notice, and it seemed like the writing was on the wall to close for good.