Cindy Crawford, right, and Deanna Marrington have taught hundreds of Brookings-Harbor students. The Pilot/Scott Graves

That was before the U.S. economy tanked. Before parents, hurting from pay cuts and layoffs, stopped enrolling their children in day care and afterschool programs – here and throughout Oregon.

Back then Creative Learning owner and director Cindy Crawford thought the center would continue indefinitely. Instead, it closes forever on Feb. 29. 

“I first noticed a drop in enrollment numbers two years ago,” Crawford said. “I was treading water until last fall, when the numbers dropped again – so fast that I got scared.”

Crawford, 51, did everything she could in the last two years to save her business that, for the past 17 years, has garnered kudos from parents, children and public school teachers because of its unique blend of creativity and academics. 

Creative Learning was not a babysitting service. The weekly schedule regularly featured learning activities such as reading, spelling, art, music, geography and Spanish and yoga lessons. Guest speakers  were invited to the classroom on a weekly basis. Students took field trips two or three times a month, and participated in community service projects.

“For awhile there, before the economy went bad, it was magical,” Crawford said.

Seeing no clear solution to saving her business, Crawford sought advice from an attorney, accountant and business advisor. In 2010, she made the recommended cost reductions and laid off several full- and part-time employees. In the summer of 2011, she stopped pulling a salary for herself and is now working part time as a waitress. She was not giving up without a fight.

She placed her last shred of hope on a jump in enrollment in the fall of 2011 that never materialized.

“I prayed and I hoped, but by November it was clear. I couldn’t keep digging myself into a hole. I had to close. It was just a matter of when and how,” Crawford said.

She sent out notices to the parents on Feb. 8, explaining her predicament. After nearly two decades of serving hundreds of Brookings-Harbor children, Creative Learning is closing for good on Feb. 29. She plans to hold a total liquidation sale on March 17.

On Monday, Crawford struggled to keep the tears back as she talked about the closure.

“I always thought I’d be here so much longer,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful experience. Not just for me, but the students, teachers and all the families that have come through her.”

The announcement   shocked and dismayed parents of both current and former children who attended the center.

“It was such a blow. We are deeply sad about it closing,” said Stephanie Graves,  whose youngest child attends the center, as did her two older children.

 “Whenever I dropped my kids off there I knew they were at a place where they were loved and safe,” Graves said. “I can’t say enough about the staff and all the hard work and dedication they put into it.”

Mother Miranda Lampley  learned first-hand in the fall of 2011 what a special place the center is.

“After hearing many great things from friends, we toured Creative Learning. My son immediately loved teacher Deanna Marrington and the school,” Lampley said.

“The classroom atmosphere and attention from Deanna made it exciting for him, something I couldn’t do for him at home, from recognizing letters, to writing, to crafts, field trips, Spanish, the social interactions, themes, numbers, shapes, health, class parties ... the list is endless,” she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by parents throughout the community as word of the Feb. 29 closure date spread last week. 

The kind words were not lost on Crawford, who opened a day-care center in her Brookings home in 1995 and three years later moved it to its current location on Fern Avenue.

“I was expecting some parents to be angry, but they are mostly sad. I’ve received lots of support and condolences,” she said.

Where are the children?

Graves felt helpless to prevent the closure.

“I know we could have done something to help out – did fundraisers or something. There are a lot of people out there who would help if they had known it was going to close,” she said.

Crawford appreciated the thought, but fundraising wouldn’t change the fact that many working-class parents have simply stopped enrolling their children in day care and preschool.

She places the blame squarely on the poor economy – and the resulting loss in wages and sometimes jobs for many people.

“The economy has wrecked havoc on the working families who use me – they just can’t afford to spend money on day care and preschool anymore,” she said.

Her argument was validated two weeks ago, she said, by a state day care licensing inspector who said similar centers statewide are reporting significant loss of customers. 

“He said two or three centers have closed in Medford and Coos Bay is really hurting,” Crawford said.

So where are children going? 

Crawford knows for a fact that some parents are dropping their kids off with grandparents and friends. Other parents have moved away in search of employment or higher-paying jobs. She’s concerned that many children are simply being left alone at home while the parents work.

“I’m worried that there are a lot of latchkey kids out there,” she said.

Cindy’s ‘angel’

The story of Creative Learning cannot be told without including Deanna Marrington, who has worked for Crawford for the past 13 years.

“She’s my angel,” Crawford said. “She was my first employee. She was my assistant while I was head teacher. She’s been my key to success.”

Marrington started as a parent volunteer with two children in Crawford’s in-home preschool in 1995.  Marrington was a quick study and, after Crawford moved the business to the  Fern Avenue location, she was hired as an assistant and, several years later, became the head teacher.

“Deanna and I had to experiment with systems to make the center ‘flow.’ The flow was to maintain consistency of care and teaching while working within the parameters of Oregon regulations, budgets and families needs,” Crawford said.

“Over time the center became a beautiful fun magical place for the children of our town. Meeting and working with so many families has been an incredible journey of being part of their lives.”

Marrington agreed.

“Everywhere I go I see Creative Learning kids,” she said. “I get to know them and their families personally, become a part of their lives.”

She called Crawford “my mentor, my supervisor. I’ve learned so much from her. I wouldn’t be here without her.”

When Creative Learning closes, Marrington still wants to work with children. She’s applied for a substitute instructional assistant at Kalmiopsis Elementary School and is thinking about going back to school get a teaching credential.

A 17-year journey

Moving with her husband and two young children from Crescent City to Brookings, Crawford opened an in-home day care business in 1995 because the family needed the money. Also, she wanted the flexibility to be home with her children. 

“Being a preschool owner has allowed me the flexibility to raise my own children, to be able to go to their games, run them to appointments and take time off for them,” she said.

It’s a philosophy she later offered to her employees as her business grew.

“My staff also were able to take time off anytime they needed, including paid vacations. It was as important to me that the staff take care of themselves as it’s such a burn out working daily with young children.”

Crawford ran her in-home day care center for three years. It was open 24 hours, seven days a week. Some clients would pick up their children at midnight or drop them off at 6 a.m. The stressful schedule, piles of toys and growing list of customers led to the relocation to Fern Avenue, and a new business name, in 2002.

The Creative Learning system appealed to many parents. It was a program that was part Montessori (highly creative), part Waldorf (emphasis on academics), and part Crawford.

“I wanted to create a center with big-city quality for  everybody in a 60-mile radius,” she said.

Mission accomplished, said  Dori Blodgett, childrens librarian at the Chetco Community Public Library. 

In  1996, Crawford invited Blodgett into her in-home preschool to read stories to children, and the partnership has continued to this day.

“I’ve been part of their world, doing storytime once a week for the last 15 years,” Blodgett said.

She added,  “Cindy put so much time into her curriculum. The students got so much more than being at home or at a home-based day care. She took great pride in what she did. I’ll miss her and I’m proud to have been part of her program.”

Final chapter

On Monday, Crawford sat in her office while the sound of children’s laughter filled the room next door.  Her small office is lined with photos from her past – of her family, her employees and past students. There are smiles in every photo.

“I have been honored and blessed through all of relationships with the children, the parents, community members, and my staff,” she said. “I feel deep appreciation for this and I know I have spent the last 17 years doing something worthwhile with my life.”

She is particularly grateful to all the local businesses, organizations and guest speakers who have visited with her students over the years.

 “I thank the families who have entrusted me and my staff over these years to care, teach and love their children. I thank my own children for sharing me with so many more, and sharing their home for all those years. I will miss them all and I am full of gratitude for this time together.”

Many parents feel likewise.

“Although our time with Creative Learning was short, compared to others, it has been a great foundation for my son’s education and life,” said Lampley. “I am happy to say we have been a part of their last class to attend. It is with a sad heart we say goodbye to Cindy, (the staff) and all the other little people who went there with my son.”

“Creative Learning was such a wonderful place,” Graves said. “I never worried when I dropped by kid off. It was nice to know that someone loved my children as much as I do.”