Bloomfield Hills parents say they were blindsided after the Bloomfield Hills Schools board voted to shut down the district’s infant-and-toddler program at Bloomin’ Preschools, leaving families with roughly three months to find new care and teachers facing job uncertainty. The decision, which takes effect at the end of the school year on June 30, has already sparked a fast and fiery community backlash.
Board votes to end infant-and-toddler care
At a Tuesday board meeting, the board voted 4-2 to conclude the district’s Infant & Toddler Care program, with district figures presented at the meeting showing the classroom operating at a loss of more than $300,000, according to ClickOnDetroit. The district told the station that families currently enrolled will continue receiving services through the end of the 2025-26 school year and that it plans to focus on strengthening and expanding both its GSRP (state preschool) and tuition-based preschool offerings.
Parents and teachers say they were blindsided
Parents at the meeting described the vote as sudden and emotional, with one parent telling local reporters, “We were devastated,” according to CBS News Detroit. Many families said they only learned of the closure the night before the vote. Teachers told reporters they had been informed their employment would end when the program closes in June, adding one more layer of stress in what is already a tight child-care market.
Families face long wait lists and few options
Parents told reporters the loss of the infant-and-toddler room will force many families to scramble for alternatives, with some saying they were already on wait lists that can stretch one to two years. Several families said they would have been willing to pay higher tuition to keep the classroom open, and staff have been briefed on transition support from human resources, according to ClickOnDetroit.
District points to sustainability and state programs
Bloomfield Hills Schools said the decision followed extensive internal discussion about the program’s long-term sustainability and the district’s broader financial realities. Officials stressed that preschool programming for children ages 30 months through kindergarten eligibility will continue. The district said it will lean on existing enrollment pathways and state programs as it shifts early-childhood offerings, directing families to resources from Bloomin' Preschools and the Michigan Department of Education.
Parents organize
A petition launched Feb. 26 calling on the board to reverse the closure gathered more than 150 verified signatures within days, and parents say they plan to keep pressing their case at public meetings, according to the petition page. The Change.org campaign casts the vote as an assault on working families and on early-childhood staff and links to local coverage for background at Change.org.
For now, families are hunting for backup plans while the board’s vote stands and the district says it will provide transition support to impacted staff and families. Parents and advocates say they will be watching upcoming board meetings closely and may bring proposals, from tuition adjustments to community partnerships, to keep some form of infant-and-toddler care alive in the district.
