Purdue Northwest to Close Child Center

(photo courtesy of our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana)

Purdue University Northwest is planning to close the Charlotte R. Riley Child Center in June. Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report the decision was made due to an ongoing operating deficit.

The Riley Child Center, which is located at the south end of the Purdue Northwest campus in Hammond, will officially close its doors June 30. Parents were notified of the facility’s closing last week, according to the publication.

Purdue released the following statement on the closure:

Though the Riley Center has enjoyed a distinguished history of providing outstanding care and instruction for children of our students, faculty and staff, and nearby community residents, recent year changes in university demographics have contributed to decreased enrollment at the facility.

That, along with escalating costs of providing high quality child care have produced an operating deficit our university is unable to sustain. Despite our best efforts, including those of our outstanding child center administration and teachers, we are left with no alternative, regretfully, but to close the Riley Center.

The Times reports the facility was slated to close in 2013, however a donation from the city of Hammond kept it open. Purdue Spokesman Wes Lukoshus told the publication the university has not decided on what to do with the building once it has been closed.

You can read more about the closure from The Times by clicking here.