'Complete panic': Families scramble as KU's affiliate childcare center announces closure

LAWRENCE, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.

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Parents of children enrolled in Hilltop Child Development Center, a University of Kansas nonprofit affiliate with two locations on the campus, received an email on Sept. 22 stating the center will close on Oct. 30.

In a letter to families, Hilltop Board of Directors president, Chari J. Young, said the decision was based on a financial review that considered safety, staffing, reliable leadership, consistent classroom environments, and enrollment growth.

Some members of the university's community were still hopeful for a resolution when Chancellor Doug Girod confirmed the decision is final Friday morning.

"We would never consider operating without meeting all applicable safety, staffing and licensing requirements," KU spokesperson Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said in an email to KSHB 41 News.

The center has been operating on KU's campus for more than 50 years.

As of last week, 155 children were enrolled in the childcare program. About half of those who are enrolled are children of KU students and employees, according Barcomb-Peterson.

Chris Morrison/KSHB

“It’s not about money, it’s about them (the kids), and there’s a lot of kids that are going to get hurt by this," former KU economics instructor Ryan Shumaker said.

Shumaker's two children, a 4-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl, are enrolled at Hilltop.

“Complete panic," Shumaker said. "What are we going to do on such short notice to get care for the kids?"

Shumaker said he wonders why the on-campus child development center is closing mid-semester.

“It really sucks this notice was this short, particularly when the board said there was more than enough money to run through next year," Shumaker said.

Parents were given a 39-day notice.

Shumaker said he hasn't told his son yet.

"We’re waiting until basically the end, which may not even come at the end of this month," he said.

In the letter to families, Young said operations could conclude before Oct. 30, depending on whether Hilltop continues to meet licensing requirements.

Shumaker said Hilltop's culture changed last summer.

In July 2025, KU sent a letter to parents regarding confirmed allegations of child abuse in one of the center's classrooms.

KSHB 41 News reviewed the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's facility inspection results of Hilltop and found other substantiated allegations between February and April of 2025.

RELATED | KU, affiliate child care center notify parents after substantiating child abuse allegations

Chris Morrison/KSHB

“I believe it was the same week I gave birth to my daughter," said KU associate professor of psychology and researcher Tara Fazzino, whose daughter was enrolled in Hilltop two years ago. "My husband filled out the form to send it over to Hilltop to get on the wait list because we were so sure we wanted to get in."

In 1972, the February Sisters, a coalition of 30 female colleagues at the University of Kansas, was formed.

The February Sisters bargained for a free daycare center paid for by the university. Today, part of their legacy lives on at Hilltop.

“One of their demands was to have accessible daycare because for women, that’s a necessity for full participation for any sort of academic or professional endeavor," said KU professor of psychology and researcher Nancy Hamilton.

Hamilton said her daughter, Susanna, completed her time at Hilltop in 2014.

Chris Morrison/KSHB

“Having good daycare was so important to me when I came to KU that it was actually negotiated as part of my contract to have a spot at Hilltop," Hamilton said.

In a letter to Girod, Hamilton expressed her concerns about recruiting and retaining "the best and brightest young scholars" without the on-campus childcare option and what the loss will mean for the research university.

Credit: University of Kansas

“I think that having reliable and easily accessible and affordable daycare is an essential function of the university," Hamilton said.

Hilltop is the only National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited early childhood center in Douglas County, according to KU.

“If you’re in academia, who you are is somebody that values education, so you want a place for your child that offers the best educational start," Hamilton said.

Hamilton and Fazzino say they had great experiences when their children were enrolled in Hilltop.

The university confirmed to KSHB 41 News that for at least a year, families who have been interested in enrolling their children — with the exception of infants — have been easily accommodated.

“We went from a huge wait list to now the place is closing," Shumaker said.

In a public letter sent to KU provost Arash Mafi on Friday, Girod requested a work group of faculty and staff "with relevant expertise to recommend assistance for affected KU (Hilltop) families and viable short-and long-term childcare solutions, both within and outside KU."

"Communication about support services is being shared directly with Hilltop families," Mafi said in response. "Our goal for the work group is to identify practical ways to assist affected KU families in the near term while also developing sustainable approaches to childcare access for the future."

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