Two Kiddie Academy child care centers in Brookfield and Mequon have closed permanently after Wisconsin officials revoked their licenses. The closures followed state findings concerning staff qualifications and the supervision of children. Both locations have also been removed from Kiddie Academy’s corporate website.
The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families told FOX6 News that investigators discovered falsified information about several employees’ completion of required training courses. The department said the inaccurate training information meant children were being supervised by staff who did not have the necessary qualifications.
Records obtained by FOX6 described repeated instances in which assistant teachers supervised groups of children without a qualified teacher overseeing them, as required. Those findings involved four of the center’s seven classrooms. The documents identified classroom supervision as one of the issues behind the state’s action.
A separate staffing concern arose from a complaint submitted in May 2025 by the mother of a 17-year-old employee at the Brookfield center. The mother said her daughter had been employed as a receptionist and dishwasher. The state found that the teenager was asked to work directly with children so the center could meet its staffing ratios.
DCF revoked the Brookfield location’s license in June, but the center continued operating while the company appealed. At a hearing during the week before Nov. 2, state officials said an administrative judge upheld the revocation. That ruling prompted the provider to close immediately.
The sudden shutdown left families searching for other arrangements. In an email to FOX6 the previous week, one parent said families had received no notice and were struggling to secure replacement care. The parent said most other day care providers had waiting lists extending until spring.
A spokeswoman at Kiddie Academy’s corporate office in Maryland told FOX6 that the franchisees decided to close both independently owned and operated centers permanently following the hearing. The company acknowledged the disruption for families, children and employees. It said its corporate team remained in close contact with the franchisees and was supporting the closure process, while emphasizing that each location is expected to comply with state licensing requirements.
Affected families can use the child care finder webpage to search for local care. Families having difficulty finding a provider, or whose children need additional services, can also seek personalized help from Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies across Wisconsin.
