By Kaydon Webber
The University of Nebraska at Omaha has announced that its campus childcare center will be ceasing operations on May 22nd. The university’s reasoning behind this decision is due to the center in a university statement, “Operating at just over 50% capacity and has not returned to full enrollment since early 2020…”
Outside the UNO Childcare Center on a Wednesday Mar. 4th, 2026
After 39 years of operations, parents, staff, and faculty were notified on Feb. 23 at 7p.m. about the UNO Childcare Center’s closure. Student parent Kalie Frost relies on the childcare center to balance her degree progress with motherhood. This announcement has put strain on her and her ability to financially support her children while pursuing a degree. Frost states, “I divorced last year and we’re living on my financial aid. I won’t be able to continue at UNO if I can’t secure childcare.”
Staff members at the university were also enraged at the news claiming the university has neglected to support the childcare center for quite some time now. Stories of power failure, subpar maintenance, and a hiring freeze tells a tale of strife. Reagan Kynaston, a staff member at the UNO Childcare Center, says, “It’s a university. If you’re going to preach about how you support your students, staff, faculty, and the surrounding community, then support your childcare center.”
Mother Kalie Frost (Pictured Right) studying for an upcoming exam with her professor
According to estimates from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, roughly 4,454 children in the Omaha–Council Bluffs region lives in families that cannot easily access childcare. The closure of the university’s childcare facility may add additional strain to families already struggling to find reliable care.
The UNO Student Government Association held an open forum for students to voice their concerns about the closure of the UNO Childcare Center. After concluding their longest open forum session of the school year, current sitting student government President Drew Leisy announced his support for the affected members of the community and has sent a statement to the university urging them to reverse the decision to close the center.
The Omaha News contacted the university for further comment regarding the lack of enrollment at the center and its plans to assist affected families. As publication, the university had not responded.
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