Holly Oak Child Care Center is closing its doors.
Days after Delaware Online/The News Journal published an investigation into the reportedly “rough handling” of children at the Wilmington-area day care, the same center learned its license was suspended. Effective Wednesday, the center will cease all operations indefinitely, its board of directors alerted in a late-night letter to parents Tuesday.
This comes as the Office of Child Care Licensing — which oversees day care and child care facilities in Delaware — substantiated some 14 claims against the center in its investigations.
“Holly Oak Child Care Center has served our community for 24 years,” the board wrote this week. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of our license suspension. We endeavor to make the right decisions at the right time for everyone involved — we hope in the interim you will do what’s right for you and your family.”
A Delaware Online/The News Journal investigation, fueled by interviews with parents, board members and former teachers, alongside a review of texts, emails and recordings obtained by this news organization and the state, published July 1.