photo by: Dmitry Martirosov/Journal-World

A child holds a sign at a protest of Hilltop parents at the University of Kansas' Capitol Federal Hall on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.

Just days after they learned that Hilltop Child Development Center at the University of Kansas would be shutting down for good in a month, frustrated parents, teachers and other staff members at the childcare center learned that it may not even have that long.

During a virtual meeting with Hilltop’s leaders on Thursday, attendees learned that on Sept. 2 Hilltop received a notice of suspension from the Kansas Office of Early Childhood, warning the center that its license could be suspended unless it takes certain steps. Natalie Holick, KU’s chief compliance officer, said the notice was based on three investigations from earlier this year that found that Hilltop had violated childcare regulations.

As the Journal-World reported, families and staff found out about the impending shutdown in an email from Chari Young, the center’s board president and KU’s chief human resources officer, on Tuesday night. Then, she notified them that Hilltop would be open through Oct. 30 for infant, toddler and preschool classrooms, “provided the center can continue meeting all applicable safety, staffing, and licensing requirements,” and through Oct. 23 for after-school care classrooms.

But at Thursday’s meeting, Holick said that Hilltop now has certain obligations it must meet if it wants to remain open, including completing training for all of its administrators and lead teachers, paying a $1,500 fine and maintaining compliance with other regulations. Even if the center meets those obligations, there is no guarantee that accidents or other violations wouldn’t occur, Holick added.

If that happens, she said, Hilltop could be shut down immediately.

Parents on Thursday showed up at KU’s Capitol Federal Hall to support Hilltop’s teachers. They held signs and cheered on employees as they walked out of a meeting that finalized details about the end of their employment at the center.

photo by: Dmitry Martirosov/Journal-World

Staff members of the Hilltop Child Development Center at the University of Kansas listen during a meeting inside Capitol Federal Hall on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.

Parents have been frustrated with Hilltop’s leadership for over a year, particularly Cori Berg, the center’s executive director.

One parent, who asked not to be named, said the closure was a major blow. But the process leading up to it and the lack of transparency from Berg was what irked him the most. He said the stress levels of teachers had increased as a result.

Another parent, Heddy Pierce-Armstrong, who was at the protest, said the decision to close the childcare center was “very surprising.” Pierce-Armstrong is a mother of four, including three who are currently enrolled at Hilltop.

Just over a month ago, she was assured by Berg that Hilltop wasn’t going away. But Pierce-Armstrong added that when pressed, Berg couldn’t personally assure her of that and “deflected” to KU.

Pierce-Armstrong has since contacted four childcare centers with no luck on finding empty slots for her children. About a week ago, she turned down an offer to place her youngest at a different childcare center. Now, like many other parents, she is left scrambling for solutions.

When the meeting with Hilltop’s employees was concluded about 45 minutes later, Berg did not interact with parents and instead exited through the back door of the room where the meeting was held, escorted by security, and refused to answer questions from the media.

photo by: Dmitry Martirosov/Journal-World

Hilltop Executive Director Cori Berg is seen leaving Capitol Federal Hall on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.