This is the text of the closure letter sent to UMCDC parents on January 22, 2018. We include it in order to provide a record of official communications regarding the closure.

Dear Parents of children at the University's Child Development Center (CDC):

As you may know, we have been working diligently to raise the necessary funds for the completion of the College of Education + Human Development's planned remodeling and expansion of the Institute of Child Development building, an integral part of our scholarship and research. This project remains the highest priority for the College and we continue to have success in our fundraising efforts.

However, developing plans to transform the existing Shirley Moore Laboratory School into a state of the art Lab School, given both space and traffic constraints, has proven to be a high hurdle. The current Shirley Moore Lab School has limited space and parents of the Lab School have long had concerns about the drop off and pick up areas.

After careful consideration, we have chosen to close the CDC where your child is enrolled and transform this facility into a new Shirley Moore Laboratory School. The current CDC will be closed in approximately early summer 2019, 18 months from now, to allow time for remodeling and technology enhancements prior to the start of the Fall 2020 semester.

We know that this is disruptive. We are providing 18 month advance notice so you can evaluate and choose options without worrying about an immediate need. We have provided a link, available from public sources, of 495 childcare providers within a five-mile radius of the CDC (see http://parentaware.org). We are not making any endorsement of these providers but are attaching this link solely for your convenience.

I want you to know that the University is exploring another option for childcare for University faculty, staff and graduate students. The University will issue a Request for Proposal soon to gauge the interest of national childcare providers in working with the University to run a facility for the benefit of our faculty, staff and graduate students. We know the demand exists for childcare and we want to explore every option in serving your needs. We will keep you up to date as we have more information to share.

I apologize for this news. This was not an easy decision, but we also know that alternatives exist, at many levels. This move will strengthen the scholarship and capacity of our college in child research and early childhood education.

I would like to thank the CDC staff and Director Ann Edgerton for their exemplary work in providing outstanding childcare to the children of our faculty, staff and graduate students. Due to their high quality work the CDC has a strong national reputation.