photo by: Dmitry Martirosov/Journal-World

The Hilltop Child Development Center at the University of Kansas is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.

The Hilltop Child Development Center at the University of Kansas fed a child with a dairy allergy a cupcake that contained dairy, failed to supervise a child who exposed himself to another child in the bathroom, and did not repair broken outdoor play equipment for several months.

These are among several violations that the Kansas Office of Early Childhood cited in a letter to Hilltop, warning that its license could be suspended unless it takes corrective measures.

The letter, dated Sept. 2 and obtained by the Journal-World through an open records request, orders Hilltop to initiate training to its administrators and lead teachers, pay a $1,500 fine and maintain compliance with childcare regulations if it wants to lift the suspension. The findings are based on several investigations that took place at Hilltop’s main campus on Ousdahl Road between March and May of this year, according to the letter.

Hilltop has filed an appeal and a scheduled date for a hearing is pending.

The letter, which was reported on last week by the Journal-World, comes days after Hilltop’s board president announced that the childcare center will cease operations at the end of next month. The letter adds pressure on Hilltop leaders and could expedite the center’s closure if the requirements are not met.

In all, the letter lists seven violations that occurred between March 25 and May 13. They include:

• March 25: “A child with a dairy allergy was fed an item that had non-dairy chocolate chips in it.”

• March 25: “Supervision was not provided for two children in the bathroom when one child showed his privates to another child”

• April 21 and May 1: “A climber on the preschool playground was not in good repair as the slide was broken and the entire climber was unstable. The climber has been this way for several months.”

• April 21 and May 1: “Supervision was not provided for three children on two separate incidents. On both incidents children were found inside without supervision as the teachers were outside with the class. On both incidents the children were left unsupervised for about two to three minutes.”

• May 6 and May 13: “A child with a dairy allergy was given a cupcake that contained dairy.”

• May 6 and May 13: “Two children were found inside at the front desk and the rest of the class was on the playground.”

• May 6 and May 13: “Two children were not supervised in the classroom bathroom. Licensee was previously cited for violation of this regulation on March 25, 2026.”

The Journal-World has previously reported on these violations, but at the time they were not tied to a possible license suspension.

Hilltop leadership — and KU by extension — have been facing increased pressure from families, faculty and staff who have been vocal since the announcement to close the center last Tuesday. On Monday, that pressure rose another level, when more than 450 faculty, staff and students at KU and more than a dozen elected officials across Douglas County signed two letters of support urging Chancellor Doug Girod and Provost Arash Mafi to “pause” their plans. One letter specifically asks that KU leave Hilltop’s main campus untouched so that plans for a future childcare center could be possible.

Hilltop is one of the largest childcare centers in Lawrence and has capacity for roughly 400 students. With news of the closure, many childcare centers have become inundated with frustrated — and increasingly desperate — parents seeking empty slots for their children. Some parents have declined previous offers to place their children at other centers because they wanted to stay at Hilltop.

It is not uncommon for a childcare center to be cited for violations. But over the past year or so, Hilltop garnered more than 20 violations, dating back at least to spring of last year.

Hilltop’s last documented violation on the state’s childcare complaint database is from Sept. 8 during an annual visit. “A thermometer was not in the fridge in the Salamander classroom,” the description reads. The issue was later fixed.