Haddon Township daycare closes down after 23 years
CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ (WTXF) - A daycare closed without warning leaving many Haddon Township parents trying to figure out where their kids will go when they're at work.
"It's just a little upsetting how everything happened." Stephanie Campise is picking up her 14-month-old son from Kids Kampus daycare in Haddon Township for the last time.
She's stunned to learn of its sudden closure.
"There was rumors but no definite information and then kind of just given four day notice to figure something out," she told FOX 29. Especially with an infant, it's hard to find someone that will take them, especially on short notice."
Toys will soon be packed up joining the many boxes already in the hallway where children have walked up and down for 23 years.
"I loved all of the kids. Some of the kids have been with me for six years. Some of the families have been with me for 14 years. I've gone through all their children," the owner said.
Owner Joan Shacochis says she and her husband were in a long-running court battle with the property owners and finally realized it was over when they saw an eviction notice on their door.
"I've been looking for a new building for this whole time so that we could go to a new building but they didn't give me the time to be able to do that," she said. "It's horrible to be going through this."
FOX 29 reached out to the landlord, Kimco Realty for comment. They sent a statement which says in part:
"While we unfortunately cannot share details surrounding specific tenant negotiations and any litigation, our first choice, where possible, is to keep an existing business at our center as long as they are abiding by the terms of their lease agreement."
Many parents are confused.
Stephanie says she thankfully has an interim replacement.
"It kind of was good timing since college students are coming home from graduation at the end of the school year so I have some college students filling in before my mother in law is going to watch them for the summer," she said.