COLUMBIA— Lenoir Woods Community Center will discontinue its child care services, effective this summer.
The center made the announcement during a meeting with parents and staff Wednesday evening, according to a news release. Lenoir Woods is Columbia's largest senior community, with more than 200 residents, according to the release. It is a member of Lutheran Senior Services, a St. Louis-based senior community organization.
"This was not an easy decision for us to make," stated Kent Kirkwood, administrator at Lenoir Woods in the release, but it was a necessary one to maintain our high standards of service to the seniors who call Lenoir Woods home."
"Our Christian mission is helping older adults live life to the fullest, and that is where we need to focus our efforts and our resources," he stated in the release.
Lenoir Woods' Child Care Center was created as a service for its employees, but in recent years it has welcomed children from all over Columbia, the release stated. Fifteen of the 55 children enrolled in the full-time program are from families of the Lenoir Woods staff, according to the release.
The community's human resources department is working with various day care agencies in Columbia to find alternatives to meet the needs of Lenoir Woods employees who had children enrolled in the program, the release stated.