Jennifer Schumann got the news when she was picking up her son Dillon, 6, from a class field trip to see Santa. Dillon's school, called Treehouse Pediatrics, was closing its doors for good at the end of the day.
Treehouse Pediatrics is a place that provides both therapy and an education to children with special needs. Dillon is autistic, and so far, he's non-verbal. His mom says since he started at Treehouse, he's made amazing progress.
Schumann said Thursday afternoon, "(Dillon's) teacher showed up and said, 'I don't know if ya'll have heard. ' Heard what? She said 'the clinic is going to close today at 5:00. We're all out of jobs.' What?"
A note attached to the door says the school is closed permanently because of three months of non-payment from Tricare. Tricare is the health insurance program for the military.
A spokesperson from Treehouse issued this statement to KENS 5:
"Everyone at Treehouse is devastated by having had to make this difficult decision. We're doing everything we can to ensure the children and their families get the services they need. We're contacting the families as quickly as possible, and invite the public and the families to check the website for updates as we progress. We're working to take care of the families needs, and will continue to do so to ensure that they're taken care of."
When pushed for more information as to why the parents were not given any warning, the spokesperson said she had no comment.
