Queens parents face uncertainty as Middle Village preschool announces its closure
Some Queens parents say they were blindsided by the announcement that Christ the King Kids daycare and pre-K will close for good next year.
"We had no idea this was coming our way," Andrew Garufi said.
Christ the King Kids in Middle Village serves children from six weeks to 5 years old, offering extended hours to accommodate working parents. But in an Oct. 28 letter to families, school leadership announced it would close in July, citing the retirement of its principal.
"I opened up my email, and I cried at my desk," Stephanie McDougall said. "The closing of this daycare and preschool is devastating for my family."
Parents say they were offered little explanation for the decision.
"We didn't even hear about money or anything like that, just that it's going to close, like we were insignificant," grandmother Debra Garibaldi Chan said.
They say the school has been a community pillar for three decades.
"We have families from Ridgewood, from Bushwick, from Rego Park, Forest Hills," McDougall said.
Councilmember Phil Wong says the school remains in high demand with a waitlist.
"I have emailed the school, and I asked them to reconsider," he said. "We need these services."
Parents say the lack of comparable care could force families to look elsewhere.
"There is no other option for infant care in the area at all," Garufi said.
"I don't want to see these families move out to Long Island because they have the services. I want to see them stay here," Garibaldi Chan said.
The planned closure comes as a neighboring charter school seeks to expand its enrollment.
Christ the King Kids, which has more than 200 students, shares a campus with Christ the King High School and Middle Village Preparatory Charter School.
In a public notice posted Oct. 13, SUNY Charter Schools Institute said, "The school requests an enrollment revision to add an elementary school program starting in the 2027-28 school year with 360 students in grades K-1 and 5 for a total of 815 students in grades K-1 and 5-8 for the 2027-28 school year."
Some parents say the expansion comes at the expense of a greater community need.
"We don't have need for another grammar school in the area," McDougall said. "This will have devastating impact on the nearby Catholic schools, and it leaves many families, especially those with young children and infants, without a viable childcare option."
Christ the King Kids, Christ the King High School, Middle Village Preparatory Charter School, and the Diocese of Brooklyn did not respond to CBS News New York's requests for comment.
A post to the Christ the King High School Instagram account said Middle Village Prep plans to offer a position to every current daycare and pre-K staff member.
The post continued, "We understand that change brings questions. Timelines, campus arrangements and next steps will be shared as plans are finalized. We look forward to the continued growth of Middle Village Prep and Christ the King High School on our campus."
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