Parents furious after the University of Minnesota announced it will be closing a school-run child care facility packed a meeting with the dean behind the decision Thursday afternoon. They also hoped to persuade the U to continue a day care on campus.

Letters notified parents the University's Child Development Center will close in 18 months. The U plans to move a laboratory school from the main campus into the space occupied by the day care.

Nearly 100 parents jammed into a small room in the center criticized the way the decision was made and what they see as a lack of transparency.

"This is a democratic country and a public research university and faculty and staff should have the chance to voice their opinion, and this is very top down," saidMandy Bai, an administrator at the Carlson School of Management with two young children enrolled at the center.

The Child Development Center serves about 140 children and costs between $445 and $750 per child every two weeks, depending on the child's age and the family income. And around 200 children are on the waiting list.

The Child Development Center stands out for its longevity — more than four decades — and its reputation.

Kersten Warren is a research administrator at the College of Veterinary Medicine. The youngest of her three children will age out of the center later this year.

"I think my kids have gone off to their schools and are so well prepared because of the staff here and the curriculum and the university's commitment to the programming," Warren said.

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