By Loretta Fulton

Two faith-based childcare centers recently closed, both citing rising costs and staffing issues as the primary causes.

On Monday, May 19, Pioneer Drive Baptist Church sent an email saying that its Pathways Learning Center would close effective Aug. 15. Earlier, His Little Angels on Buffalo Gap Road announced it would close as of noon on Wednesday, May 14. 

“Financial losses and staffing, especially post COVID,” Joe Melson, finance administrator at PDBC, gave as the main reasons for closing. 

At Pioneer Drive, the closing affects only the church’s full-time, five-day-a-week program. The Children’s Day Out program will still be offered, Melson said. 

Two options are offered, a 2-day or a 3-day plan. Both are for ages 3 months to 4 years. The Children’s Day Out program operates during the school year from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Historically, Melson said, 70 to 80 children are in the program. 

A letter from the owners of His Little Angels, Eddie and Misty McQuade, notified parents and guardians of the upcoming closure.

“This decision was not made lightly and comes after careful consideration,” the letter stated. “We simply do not have the staff.”

The May 19 email from Pioneer Drive Baptist Church noted that the decision to close Pathways Learning Center “has not been taken lightly.” The church has offered childcare since the 1970s and currently serves about 150 children from 85 families. 

“Like many centers across our city and country,” the email read, “we have faced numerous challenges that have strained our ability to sustain a full-time daycare.”

Melson, the finance administrator, said the church has talked to representatives of First Baptist Church and Beltway Park Church about placing children and employees with them. FBC operates GLO Day Care Center in its Hope Center. GLO stands for God’s Little Ones. Beltway operates Beltway Kids Academy at 2310 S. Willis St. on property it bought from Brook Hollow Christian Church in 2021. 

The two closings will only add to a shortage of childcare options in Abilene. Day Nursery of Abilene, founded in the early 1970s, always has a waiting list, Cynthia Pearson, president and CEO, said in a recent article in Abilene Scene magazine written by Loretta Fulton. Total capacity at the various locations is 600. The centers aren’t always full, Pearson said, because not all children attend every day. If attendance is less than 80 percent, she said, directors are required to enroll more children.

“Enrollment is based on staffing,” she said, “which over the past four years has been a challenge at times, although we also have a lot of staff longevity.” 

The Day Nursery was started to serve the needs of working parents, primarily low-income working mothers. It isn’t limited to low-income families, but Pearsn said 70 percent of the families served meet that description. 

The United Way of Abilene previously commissioned Phil and Mary Christopher to survey the city about the situation and to write a comprehensive report. Their “Coalition for Quality Child Care Report” was submitted on May 6, 2023. In September 2022, the Christophers initiated a community conversation to discuss the situation. Participants included leaders from nonprofits, government agencies, foundations, businesses, schools, and churches. The 20-page report outlined the process and the people and organizations involved. The report began with the “Challenge,” which was followed by stories from parents, school officials, and others affected by the lack of childcare. The “Conclusion and Challenge” section at the end began with the following question:

“So, how will the stories mentioned at the beginning of this report end?” 

The report stated that it was beyond the charge of the Coalition for Quality Child Care to fix the issues. However, the report continued, members of the community can find ways to collaborate to develop an action plan.

“The next step is moving from awareness to action,” it concluded. 

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene