RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — Many Rapid City families are without preschool after they were informed of their facility abruptly closing.

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Little Nest Preschool was owned and operated by former Republican state Senator Jessica Castleberry.

She resigned last year, after the attorney general announced she had to pay back nearly a half million dollars in COVID-19 funds. 

Families say the closure came out of nowhere, just a day after Thanksgiving, leaving parents looking for a new preschool.

“Like who has openings, who has spots open for my son? And so this week we’ve been scrambling. My husband and I are going every other day, kind of he’s working, I’m working. And trying to work from home, but also watching my son,” Little Nest Parent Dede Oliver said.

Parents tell us the reason for the closure wasn’t made clear to parents or teachers.

“We’re never probably going to know and it’s just hard because nowhere has openings. And you see on Facebook, whether it’s in the Rapid City daycare area, childcare, looking for people to watch their kids or infant spots as well as other stuff so,” Little Nest Parent Colleena Abbott said.

Parents tell us last week when payment was normally due, invoices were never sent out, which never happened before.

“So they had to of known about it at least a week ahead of time. I don’t think this was just sudden and there was some planning involved. And that’s what’s hurtful, like how can you take jobs away from people the day after Thanksgiving.” Oliver said.

The community has already stepped up to try and help.

“There were a couple daycares posting open houses over the weekend and people were reaching out about, they have openings in their in-home daycare. And all the other centers and stuff that they’re trying to find because about fiftyish parents, maybe more, maybe less were probably displaced,” Abbott said.

A few parents also said that the teaching staff were notified only about 30 minutes prior to the email sent out to parents.