Bloomington-Normal’s shortage of affordable childcare options is about to get even worse.
Milestones Early Learning Center and Preschool in Bloomington announced Tuesday that it plans to close permanently July 31 – less than two weeks from now. Milestones, a nonprofit located on Six Points Road, has operated for 118 years.
“Please know that we did not arrive at this decision lightly. We have explored every possible avenue and resource to keep the doors open. Unfortunately, the systemic and financial realities facing the childcare sector today have made it impossible for us to sustain our operations any longer,” Milestones said in a statement, co-signed by its board of directors.
Milestones is licensed for up to 156 children. The nonprofit says its “mission has always been to serve families from all walks of life, working tirelessly to ensure that financial barriers never stand in the way of a child reaching their true potential.”
Families impacted by the Milestones closure were urged to contact the Child Care Resource and Referral Network [CCRRN] to find open placements elsewhere. They can be reached at (309) 828-1892 or CCRRN.com.
Even before this, the Bloomington-Normal area already faced a shortage of early childhood education and childcare programs, including staff to work in those programs, that’s contributed to high costs for families.
The four-county region of Illinois that includes McLean County saw 38 closures of childcare programs between 2023-25, including seven childcare centers, according to a recent report from Birth to Five Illinois Region 17. Some of those childcare centers have closed unexpectedly, leaving families unsure of where to send their children, the report said.
