Caledonia (WZZM)-A Kent County daycare has closed its doors, leaving employees without a paycheck and parents without a babysitter. Kountry Kid Kare in Caledonia closed its doors on Friday, November 6th.
13 On Your Side started looking into this story after learning about it on our website Momslikeme.com.
One parent, Shawn Dempsey, says she was out about $200. She just signed her 2-year old son, Drake up one month ago.
At the time of enrollment, Shawn paid $150 for a deposit and $50 for a registration fee. Over the next four weeks, she also paid $248 for eight half-day visits.
"And Tuesday, I called to say he was sick and he wasn't coming and there was a message the place had closed and I was supposed to come and get his stuff."
When Dempsey went to get Drake's belongings, she says the owner told her the bank had closed them down. "You would think that they would have known that was coming. Yet, they still accepted Drake and my money."
When 13 On Your Side contacted the owner, Sheri Pekel, she told us she didn't know the bank was going to do this. "We found out suddenly on Friday, that they (the bank) wouldn't extend our line of credit"
Dempsey would at least like her $150 deposit back. "I should certainly get that back. That was in the event I didn't pay, and I was paid-up when the place closed."
Shawn hasn't gotten her money back. She was told there was nothing left to "give" back. "I've heard that people who worked there aren't getting paid either, which is a shame", says Dempsey.
The owner told WZZM that her account is in the "red". She says, "It's unfair, I know it is. I did the best I could", said Pekel.
One of the workers at Kountry Kid Kare also told WZZM that parents were referred to another daycare about a mile away. That daycare offered to give the parents a discount if they signed up.
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