NYC abruptly closes 5 daycare centers but reverses decision after massive backlash from parents: Running joke

The Department of Education suddenly closed five daycare centers last month blaming poor enrollment — then had to reverse the decision in the face of massive backlash from parents and officials.The city reached lease agreements to keep the city-funded centers in Brooklyn and Queens open for one more year, but the long-term future of the centers and their 300 children is still up in the air.“While this temporary extension provides some relief, it does not address larger issues that led to the situation in the first place,” Chair Rita Joseph said at a City Council oversight hearing Thursday.Angry parents and daycare administrators slammed the DOE as a “running joke” for the sudden closure and turnaround at Nuestros Niños in Williamsburg; All My Children in South Jamaica; the Grand Street Settlement’s Bushwick Family Center; Friends of Crown Heights and the Fort Greene Council.“The DOE failed to conduct even the most basic investigation into how the database inaccurately reported low enrollment numbers,” mother Stephanie Garcia testified at the hearing.“Instead, they chose to ban over 150 families and 80 staff members leaving them to scramble for affordable care options and jobs.” “It’s a running joke at this point.

How can you trust an agency that is this disorganized to make the best decisions for our children?” Garcia said.Nuestros Niños’ administrator Ingrid Matias Chungata cried at points during the hearing, describing the stress she has been under since the sudden closures.“With less than 24 hours notice before families were sent to register their children for the next school year on the school portal, we were blindsided with the news that our lease would not be renewed,” Chungata said.“No conversations, no due process, no regard for our children, family and staff.”Simone Hawkins, deputy chancellor for early childhood education at New York City Public Schools, admitted DOE officials used previous years’ enrollment number...