COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Some southern Colorado families are scrambling to find new childcare arrangements just days before the start of the school year after several Leading Edge before-school programs were canceled because of low enrollment.
One District 11 parent, who asked not to be identified, said she learned this week that before-school care at Rogers Elementary would no longer be available for her daughter.
"We were unaware of the cut until yesterday and our school starts on the 12th," the parent told News5.
She said she enrolled in the program at the end of May and reapplied after Leading Edge launched a new registration app this summer. She also said the program was still accepting registrations when she checked the website last week.
"From our standpoint, no one contacted us. We thought we were set. We didn't make second plans," she said.
The cancellation has left her family searching for another childcare option while both she and her husband work full time.
"So now I'm struggling with trying to find care for my daughter because I work a full-time job and so does my husband," she said.
She said her biggest frustration isn't that the program was canceled, but how late families were notified.
"My frustration is communication. If you would've told us in June, we would've had more time, we would've been more prepared," she said.
News5 reached out to Colorado Springs School District 11, Harrison School District 2 and Leading Edge Before & After School to find out who made the decision, how many families were affected and why parents say they were notified so close to the start of the school year.
Both districts told News5 the decision to cancel the programs was made by Leading Edge, which operates the before and after-school care programs.
District 11 said Leading Edge determined enrollment at Rogers Elementary remained too low to operate before-school care. The district said registration remained open throughout the summer to give families additional time to enroll.
Harrison School District 2 said six students at Centennial Elementary School and eight students at Stratton Meadows Elementary School were affected by the cancellations.
The district also said it does not operate before or after-school care but will allow impacted families to apply for school choice at a nearby school that still offers the program, provided space is available and the student's needs can be met.
Leading Edge declined News5's request for an interview but provided a written statement.
"Leading Edge establishes a minimum enrollment at each site so programs can be appropriately staffed and operated safely and sustainably," the organization said.
According to the organization, enrollment remained below the minimum threshold of 10 students at one District 11 before-school programs and two Harrison School District 2 program.
Leading Edge said it intentionally kept registration open through the summer to give returning and newly enrolled families additional time to sign up before making the final decision this week to cancel the three programs.
The organization said registration fees will be refunded in full and that it is working to identify available community childcare resources for affected families.
News5 also asked Leading Edge when enrollment officially closed and whether the organization plans to change its communication process or enrollment deadlines in the future to give families more time to find alternative childcare.
Those questions were not answered before News5's deadline.
While some before-school programs are ending, Leading Edge said it will continue operating before and after-school programs at schools where enrollment requirements have been met.
District 11 also said after-school care will continue at Rogers Elementary. According to the district, demand for after-school care is significantly higher, and with limited funding, available resources are being used to subsidize that program so more families can participate.
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