Happy Time Parents Gather Thursday to Network, Support and Share Ideas

It was a bittersweet evening at the Waukee Public Library as parents, child-care teachers and children gathered Thursday to share information and ideas on what to do in the wake of the Happy Time Daycare closing.

Nearly 60 people, most associated with Happy Time Daycare, met just days after Point of Grace Church informed families and staff that the daycare would be closing Sept. 6 when its own daycare will take over the space.

“This was a much bigger turnout than I expected,” said meeting organizer and Happy Time parent Andi Tisor. “It was great to see everyone here to support one another. It was a very positive thing.”

Many Happy Time parents brought their children to the gathering so they could reunite with their favorite caregivers. There were hugs and a few tears from parents who were at a loss for an explanation of what transpired last Friday.

Point of Grace officials told Happy Time employees they can reapply for their positions. But some object to the new terms of employment, which require staffers to be born-again Christians who attend church weekly. Those not eligible for re-hire include homosexuals, single adults who live with someone of the opposite sex, smokers and drinkers.

Kyra Moore, whose daughter, August, attends Happy Time, is a member of Point of Grace Church. She said she contacted Pastor Jeff Mullen for an explanation about the changes, but what she was told didn’t sit well with her.

“He basically said, ‘Happy Time is closed,’” Moore told Thursday's gathering. “’It’s a business and that’s that.’”

Waukee Patch has left multiple phone messages and emails for Mullen seeking comment on the daycare changes, but he has not responded.

Moore said she couldn’t believe the news when a caregiver called her last week.

“She called me bawling,” Moore recalled. “I could hear the kids crying in the background and she just said, ‘Happy Time is closing. We are all without jobs.’”

For now, Moore, like several others, will continue to bring her daughter to Happy Time until the changeover on Sept. 6. After that, it’s unclear what she will do for child care.

Parents who attended the meeting, many still unsure of their next steps, picked up information on other area child-care centers and swapped contact information with parents and caregivers in the hopes that they might find a short-term solution.

“My hope is that these kids and their parents stay in touch,” Tisor said.