Citizens Group Working To Keep Frederick Community College Children’s Center Open

They’re expected to attend an FCC Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday.FCC Carl & Norma Children’s Center (Photo from Frederick Community College)Frederick, Md (KM) Efforts are underway to reverse a decision by Frederick Community College to close its child care center. Earlier this year, the school announced the closure of the Carl and Norma Miller Children’s Center on  May 16th, 2025 after 30 years.Jenna Malley has children enrolled in the FCC child care center “Both of my children have been going since they were four months old, They’re really thriving in this highly rated program. We’ve built such a solid foundation of trust with their teachers,:” she said.  Both Malley and her husband have full time jobs.With the center closing, Malley says she and her husband will have to look for another child care center in Frederick, and that won’t be easy. “Frederick County is in a child care crisis. There is not enough care for the demands, let alone affordable care. So it’s been challenging trying to find another solution,” she says.In an announcement in January, FCC President Annesa Payne Cheek said the Center will close. She explained that the center has had a net income loss of $1.3 million between fiscal years 2020 and 2024.Terry Bickel is a former director of the center, and she disputes that. “I don’t have any direct knowledge of that, but we’ve been looking over some public records, budget records, and we can’t find that,”: she said. “I think that number is a ridiculously high number. I think that includes a whole year or more that the Children’s Center was closed.”Malley is also not buying that reason for the closure. “What’s the status of the center? Is it truly financially struggling as they’re portraying? For us, it doesn’t seem that way. The classes are full. It’s a thriving center. At the time of the closure, there were 120 families on the wait list,”: she.Both Malley and Bickel are part of a citizens group called Save Community Child Care. The organization is working to get FCC to reverse its decision and keep the Children Center Open, and Bickel invites area residents to participate. “We have a Facebook page. And we have people sign petitions. So people can join us our Facebook page,” Bickel said.The Facebook page is called “Save The Children’s Center.” The website is www.savefrederickchildcare.comPart of the group’s activities are writing letters. “They can write letters to the President. They can write letters to the Board. They can write letters to elected officials, yes,” says Bickel.One of the reasons for the establishment of the FCC Children’s; Center was to take care of the kids of parents who are pursuing a degree at the college. “Their children can be right there on campus  because it’s affordable; because it works with their class schedule. It’s the only reason they are getting their degrees,” says Malley.In it’s decision, Malley says FCC, in closing the center, is taking away this opportunity for parents who are students to continue pursuing their degree,. “They’re completely disregarding the families that rely on the center,”; she said.In addition to parents who are FCC students, the child care center is also open to FCC employees and the general public.This is the worst time to close this center, says Bickel. “Right now, the county is experiencing a child care crisis because finding child care for children under two is almost impossible,”: she says. “For the president of the college to be  doing this in the middle of a national crisis is just crazy.”Bickel says members are expected to show up at the FCC Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, April 23rd at 4:30 PM to express their feelings about the upcoming closure of the child care center. The meeting will take place in Building E at the Conference Center. She says participants may not be allowed to speak, but they could show up with signs expressing their opinions.By Kevin McManus