It’s obvious after reading the documentation required to be made public regarding the YWCA Jamestown’s day care program that changes need to be made.

The YWCA’s Dandelion Room, which housed a universal pre-kindergarten program, is already closed after staffing oversight left children unattended for periods ranging from 2 minutes to 19 minutes inside the building while another child was left at a playground on Sixth Street unattended for between 4 and 5 minutes.

Such oversights are, obviously, unacceptable, especially when dealing with such young children. Parents involved have every right to be upset, and the state is obviously justified in taking action.

That action, in our opinion, should focus on remediation rather than closure. Chautauqua County parents often struggle to find affordable child care. As we have noted in the past, the lack of reliable day care options has an impact on economic development efforts focused on bringing in new jobs and for some area residents as they try to secure the types of jobs that will allow them to attain self-sufficiency. Revoking a license for a provider that can care for almost 60 children is a blow for many families who now have to make other arrangements for child care when there are precious few such options available.

Amanda Gesing, YWCA executive director, said the agency has replaced its Day Care Center director with an interim director while conducting a national search for a new director. Improvements to the YWCA’s Fourth Street building are also in the works to help address physical issues that have created issues for the YWCA.

In our opinion, the agency should be given the opportunity to keep its day care license. Licensed, affordable day care is a need in Jamestown and Chautauqua County. Removing a license to operate should be an option of last resort.