Riverview daycare closes days ahead of original notice, parents call it 'cruel' and 'dismissive'

RIVERVIEW, Fla. (WFLA) — Amazing Explorers Academy was set to close Friday. That is until the daycare notified parents it’d be closing Wednesday due to staffing shortages.

A sign on the front door read, “Amazing Explorers Academy is closed today.” There was a U-Haul van in the parking lot.

“We were planning on having at least so much, like at least for the next few days. My husband had to call out of work because I can’t call out,” said Shelley Holland, a parent. “It just was very abrupt, and it seemed very dismissive.”

Both closure dates caught parents off guard.

“I already pulled my daughter out but what if I didn’t? I have to work, and I would’ve been like struggling,” said Ananda Johnson, another parent.

Parents said they are still disappointed about how all this played out. Johnson said the rumors she’s heard for months turned out to be true.

“The only thing that is still kind of bothersome is that they still took that amendment fee for fall,” Johnson said. “Summer camp. That’s $290 a week and we have to pay a $25 deposit each week.”

She said the amendment fee was due in May and wants to know if parents will be reimbursed.

The AEA team told 8 On Your Side in part on Tuesday that, “We’ve also heard concerns about possible reimbursements. Because the school continued to operate and provide care during this period, we fulfilled our commitment to families through the end. We recognize the inconvenience caused by the short notice and have done everything we can to support our staff and families through this transition, including offering priority placement at other Amazing Explorers locations in the Tampa area.“

A commercial real estate website said the daycare was listed for sale or lease back in April. The AEA team said, at the time, this was not a signal that the daycare would close. Though not many parents said they buy that.

“As a parent, it looks like you were just trying to get your money until you knew everything was finalized,” Johnson said.

In the message sent to parents Wednesday, the daycare said families would be reimbursed for the two remaining days of the week. Holland said, considering how everything has played out, it may be best they are closing.

“At the end of the day, like they kind of showed us like their true colors,” Holland said.