Ashford University has announced that its Childcare Center will close at the end of this academic year and will not reopen in the fall. 

“As you know, the Ashford University campus student population has grown, which is great news,” John Ballheim, Ashford University vice president/campus director, said in a letter to the parents of currently enrolled students. “However, as with most good news, there is a down side. The Childcare Center will not reopen in the fall because of the increased space needs on the Clinton campus.

“We understand our Childcare Center’s long history of serving the needs of the Clinton community, so the decision to close was extremely difficult but, unfortunately, no other option was viable.”

According to Ballheim, the university is planning to convert the current childcare center into new science labs which are expected to be ready for use by the beginning of the fall 2012 semester.

The center opened in 1965 and was first licensed by the State of Iowa during the 1976-77 academic year. 

“We would like to thank the community for its support of the Childcare Center and its preschool programs,” Ballheim said.

About Ashford University

Founded in 1918, Ashford University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org). The University offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs online and at its Clinton, Iowa, campus. The University is known for its high quality yet highly affordable online and on-campus programs. For more information, please visit www.ashford.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 858.513.9240 x2513.