The Red Balloon Learning Center has been a lifeline for many working parents employed by Columbia University, like Annapurna Potluri Schreiber.

“Sixty percent of our families are Columbia-affiliated, like myself — staff people who are not paid a lot. Red Balloon is an affordable center,” Potluri Schreiber said.

But its doors are now set to close at the end of this school year because Columbia is ending its affiliation agreement with Red Balloon, and with it, its lease. Potluri Schreiber is the chair of the parent board at Red Balloon and said Columbia’s actions will mean some of the university’s own employees will struggle to remain in the workforce.

What You Need To Know

  • The Red Balloon Learning Center is affiliated with Columbia University, and many children who attend have parents who work for the university

  • But now the university is ending its affiliation agreement and the center's lease, which will lead to it closing its doors

  • Columbia says the school has had unsteady leadership and poor communication, but parents are fighting to keep it open

“It really goes right to our ability to put food on the table because for a lot of parents, who are afraid that if the university succeeds in closing Red Balloon, they will not be able to afford other childcare options in the neighborhood,” she said.

Riu Xiao, whose child Sophia attends Red Balloon, said it was both the most affordable option she could find and the one with the longest hours.

“We were so happy that we found this place and we were so happy that she ended up liking this place. And then here comes this crazy news that they’re closing it. It’s a huge bummer for us,” Xiao said.

Graduate student Hannah Throssell moved to New York to study social work at Columbia and struggled to find childcare until she turned to Red Balloon, where she received significant financial aid. The decision to close has left her wondering whether she belongs on campus.

“I wonder if Columbia intentionally is making this process hard because they’re making extremely clear the students they want at their institution and it’s probably not a young, single parent,” she said.

In a statement, Columbia pointed to a history of leadership turnover at Red Balloon and a failure to keep the university updated on changes.

“Paired with concerns in the ability of Red Balloon to provide a quality education to children, trust in the center has eroded over the years and Columbia came to the unfortunate decision that it would end its affiliation and Red Balloon’s lease would be terminated,” a spokeswoman said.

Parents don’t buy it.

“I think [it] is very insulting to our parents because they’re all fighting really hard to keep us open and they wouldn’t fight for a preschool that’s not doing an excellent job,” Potluri Schreiber said.

While parents insist they’ve heard little from the university throughout this process, Columbia says it is offering Red Balloon families resources to help find a new program for their children next year.