The clock is ticking for one of Portsmouth’s most cherished early childhood education facilities. Shawnee State University has announced plans to permanently close the Dr. Miller & Genevieve Toombs Children’s Learning Center (CLC) on August 8, 2025, citing shifting educational program needs, rising operational costs, and declining usage by students and staff.
But hundreds of voices across southern Ohio are rising up to say: Not so fast.
More than 848 people have signed an online petition pleading with the university to reconsider the closure, calling the center an “irreplaceable resource” for both young families in a rural child care desert and the university’s education students, who rely on it for hands-on experience.
🚸 More Than Just Daycare
The CLC was created to serve a dual purpose:
- Provide child care for SSU students and employees.
- Act as a real-life teaching lab for students studying Early Childhood Education.
But changes at the state level and within SSU’s own programs have shifted priorities. Ohio now encourages community colleges to handle Early Childhood Education, and SSU has refocused on Primary Education (PreK–Grade 5), which reduces the need for a preschool-level teaching lab.
📉 Fewer Kids, Higher Costs, Tougher Standards
SSU officials also point to a sharp drop in CLC usage. “The number of SSU students and employees using the center has decreased to a very small number,” the university said in its official statement.
On top of that, new Step Up To Quality standards, a statewide quality rating system for child care, will kick in starting July 2025. These standards require:
- Higher staff-to-child ratios
- Ongoing professional development
- A formal curriculum
- More thorough documentation and assessments
While these rules are designed to ensure children receive top-tier care and early education, they also drive up staffing and operating costs, which SSU says it can no longer justify—especially without a clear connection to its academic programs.
💔 “It’s So Much More Than Childcare”
But for many families and educators, that explanation doesn’t go far enough.
“This facility is the heart of the campus for young families,” said one local parent. “My first child was there from birth. Now we want the same nurturing experience for our newborn—but it might not exist.”
Another commenter shared a touching story:
“Our first grandchild spent time at the Learning Center when she was 2 or 3. She used to say she wanted to be a Shawnee State Bear when she grew up. She really did end up going there after high school.”
The center has become a recruitment tool, a safe haven, and a pipeline for future teachers—and many say the loss would create a devastating ripple effect. Not only would staff lose their jobs, but young children would lose access to high-quality care, and student-teachers would lose their hands-on learning environment.
🌵 What’s a “Child Care Desert”?
According to the Center for American Progress, more than 50% of Americans already live in areas where licensed child care is hard or impossible to find. These areas are known as “child care deserts,” and Portsmouth is already toeing that line.
Closing the CLC would further choke access for families in southern Ohio, who already face long waitlists and limited infant/toddler options.
🧾 What Happens Next?
SSU says staff will help families connect with alternative care options and provide refunds for any prepaid tuition or deposits by August 15. CLC staff members are also being assisted in finding new employment opportunities—though many parents and coworkers argue their dedication deserves recognition, not unemployment.
Still, the outcry continues. As one parent put it:
“The staff at the CLC go above and beyond for our kids. Their hard work should be awarded—not destroyed.”
✊ How You Can Help
📢 Sign the petition
📝 Write to SSU administrators and local leaders
💬 Share your stories online using #SaveShawneeCLC
👶 Support your local child care providers and early educators
💡 Learn about Step Up to Quality at education.ohio.gov
The community has made its message clear: This isn’t just about one building. This is about the future of early education, working families, and Portsmouth’s youngest Bears.
Let’s make sure their voices are heard before the doors close for good.
