The Children’s Nest, a childcare center in Audubon, announced on Friday that it would be unexpectedly closing its doors immediately due to state regulations. In a post on social media, facility staff say the center’s director has resigned, and existing requirements from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate that the Children’s Nest close without a qualified replacement to fill the vacated spot. The Iowa Code requires childcare facilities to have a properly certified director at each site. Sarah Robertson, a Children’s Nest board member, writes in a message to families, “Please know that the Board is working diligently to determine next steps. While this is a challenging moment for our center, it is our sincere hope that this will not be the end. We are actively exploring every possible option to move forward and will let you know as soon as we have more information to share.” According to the Audubon County Early Childhood Organization, the Children’s Nest opened in 2015 and provides 45 childcare slots for families in the area. The Children’s Nest Board of Directors is scheduled to meet tonight (Monday) to determine what, if any, options are available to reopen the center as soon as possible
