It's an unusual victim of the recession, one that has left dozens of south Des Moines families looking for other options.
We've reported on daycares closing because of code violations or other improprieties, but this case shows once again the far-reaching effect of a poor economy.
ABC School of Learning near Bell and Fleur is closing after over 20 years in business. Parents found out this week today would be the last day.
Longtime owners, Sonia Fazio and Theresa Fuller declined to comment Friday, saying it was too emotional a day to speak to the media.
Heather Neuroth has been taking her daughter to ABC for two years, she says the owners told her they had lost too much business and one reason families were pulling their kids is because parents who had lost their jobs were now staying home while they looked for work.
Neuroth says there were many lower income families who used the large daycare center. She says the owners would even give them free bread to take home if they needed it.
"No other daycare will care for these kids like these two women will. It's more than a business. It was reaching out to underprivileged kids and it was love and compassion and lifelong dedication," says Neuroth.
Full text available at WHO-TV.