LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — A wrench has been thrown in childcare plans for some Lee's Summit families after a fire Saturday morning gutted the International Children's Academy.
The Lee's Summit Fire Department said crews saw smoke and flames coming from the roof of the building when they got there shortly after midnight.
The fire caused significant damage and its cause is still under investigation.
The International Children's Academy originally posted on its Facebook page that it had found a new temporary building for kids to go to starting Tuesday. However, the daycare posted Monday that the previous owners of the building were not up to code and the building cannot be used until those problems are addressed.
"We are doing our best to get everything corrected asap [sic]," International Children's Academy said Monday in a Facebook post.
Until then, the daycare does not know when it will be able to reopen.
Several parents tell 41 Action News they are grateful for the daycare's communication and hard work during this trying time.
Jody Mandl said she has arranged for family members to watch her 3-year-old daughter while the daycare searches for a new space.
Mandl said, while it is an inconvenience, she's thankful for the staff members at the school for their hard work.
"I am so thankful for the Lee's Summit community that kind of rallied for everybody — the families that go there, the directors, the owners," Mandl said.
She couldn't believe it when she heard about the fire but appreciates being kept in the loop by staff members.
"They made us feel safe," Mandl said.
Since the fire broke out, parents have started a GoFundMe page, which had raised nearly $4,000 by Monday night.
