Overcrowding, low pay behind walkout that led to Denton day care closure, staff and parents say

Austin-based Childcare Network, which operates at least two dozen child care centers in Texas, has not confirmed exactly what happened at the Market Street location last week, but parents and former employees say mounting tension over a lack of staff culminated in the walkout of the center’s director, followed by teachers, on May 10. The center provides care and early education for about 120 children.

“We had too many kids because we had so many teachers quitting and they would want us to push more kids in before we even fully hired,” said Rebecca Elder, a former teacher at the Market Street center. “On May 10, our director called them [corporate] again and was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to have to stop accepting kids today because we’re already at full capacity,’ and they told her to leave everyone there and go to a recruiting event to get more kids enrolled.”

That’s when the director, followed by nearly everyone else, walked out, Elder said. A few teachers stayed until the children could be picked up, although not all the parents whose children were still at their respective elementary schools were notified about the closure since the staff member who was calling parents was asked to leave by someone from corporate before she could finish making calls, according to Elder.

“Kids would be in a different room every day, infants would be strolled around in the hallways because there’s nowhere to put them because we’re over ratio, and some kids would have to stay in the office,” Elder said. “It was just a horrible situation that we all tried to make do with and try our best to keep all the kids well taken care of and everything, but it was just too much.”

Lauren Noriega, vice president of marketing at Childcare Network, said in a statement that the corporation is “committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children while in our care.”

“Classroom ratios are an important part of keeping our children safe and happy, which is our number one priority. We work hard to maintain our position as an industry leader in early child education and care,” Noriega said via email.

Faith Wanamaker, whose 4-year-old and 6-month-old attend the Market Street location, said she’s witnessed some of the alleged issues at the center.

“There was always a lot of kids per teacher, and you could tell they were stressed out,” Wanamaker said. “I know the director had reached out multiple times to corporate for additional help and they either wouldn’t send anybody, or they would send a temp.”

The director and staff had also been pushing for raises for months, former employees and parents said.

“My 2-year-old’s teacher quit last month — she was a really great teacher, but she went to work the register at Home Depot,” Roberts said. “I think that’s really what’s going on is a lot of people can’t afford to work in child care anymore.”

Local wages are reviewed “on a regular basis,” according to Noriega, and full-time staff also receive benefits including paid time off, insurance and 401(k) retirement plans and up to 50% off child care tuition.

Childcare Network’s corporate recruiting team is working to fill staffing gaps so the Market Street location can resume regular hours, and will provide an update to families by Friday, Noriega said. About 20 to 25 children have temporarily moved to the company’s Teasley Lane location.

Whatever happens, Roberts and Wanamaker said their children won’t be returning. Roberts got her oldest in with another center while Wanamaker, who had been driving both her children to Childcare Network’s Lewisville location, has a new place for them to attend beginning June 1.

“I do not trust Childcare Network with my kids whatsoever,” Wanamaker said.