Siskin and UTC Partner to Save Little Miss Mag

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A few weeks ago, the Siskin Institute announced they were going to close their two early learning centers, leaving dozens of families without childcare.

However, their fortunes have since changed.

On August 3, Siskin announced Early Miss Mag Early Learning Center and the Carter Street early learning center would both be closing.

Siskin President and CEO Derek Bullard said this was due to rising costs and staffing issues.

Bullard said, “One of the challenges that most organizations are having post-Covid is having enough staff to serve the demand.”

The loss of the two centers sent dozens of families looking for new options, including 26 students with special needs.

That situation caught the attention of the administration at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (UTC).

UTC Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Brent Goldberg, said, “When we heard about the announcement that they were going to be closing, we made contact, and we already have a good relationship with Siskin that was already in place… We decided we would pursue this partnership because it’s a really good thing for the community to preserve these early education seats.”

UTC, which already operates two other childcare centers at Brown and Battle Academies in Downtown, will take over the Early Miss Mag location.

They are set to take over on October 2 after Siskin ceases their early learning center operations on September 29.

Bullard said, “We were hopeful once that once we made the announcement there would be the potential to partner with an organization in the community to keep Little Miss Mag open and those childcare slots available.”

The Little Miss Mag Early Learning Center has 124 seats. 

The center is in the process of rehiring much of the preexisting staff, but it will also provide an opportunity for UTC students to get hands-on experience.

Goldberg said, “We offer experiential ways for our students to participate. They can observe, they can also participate in some of the activities in our children’s center, that’s one of the primary purposes of our children’s centers.”

Siskin says that information has been passed along to current families of their early learning centers.

60 students at both Little Miss Mag and the Carter Street site will be able to enroll at the site.

Additionally, those that are already on the other two UTC Childcare Center waiting lists may be able to get a seat as well.