NATCHEZ — Kyle’s House, a daycare specializing in care for children with special needs, will soon close due to low attendance.

The house is managed by the nonprofit group Fertile Ground Inc., and its board of directors voted Thursday to close the daycare. Fertile Ground also oversees the Sunshine Children’s Center.

Kyle’s House Executive Director Matilda Stephens said only 14 children were recently using the daycare services full time.

“We need a minimum of 29 kids to make ends meet. We had 21 enrolled, and we were averaging 14 (in attendance),” Stephens said.

The daycare, which Stephens said was the only one in southwest Mississippi that caters especially to children with special needs, was established in 2009. It was named for the late Kyle Hutchins, the son of Chris and Skeeter Hutchins.

“What hurts so bad about Kyle’s House was it was a project so near and dear to our hearts and parents were pleased with service; we just could not get enough kids,” Stephens said.

Stephens said state regulations require a certain amount of staff, and the daycare could not afford to sustain itself with the number of families using the services.

Her biggest hope is that another daycare agency buys the building and new special needs geared playground equipment, so parents can continue to have a place to send their children, she said.

The building on 19 Ridgeway Road and playground equipment will likely be put up for sale in July, Stephens said.

“The big thing is, (the board wants people to know) how much we all appreciated the support the community gave the program,” Stephens said.

She said while daycares generally accept children with special needs, Kyle’s House goal was to gear activities toward those children.

Stephens said before opening the daycare, Fertile Ground conducted studies to gauge the need for a daycare of its kind.

“Maybe there’s just not a need (for Kyle’s House in Natchez), which is kind of surprising,” Stephens said.

Months ago, the board decided to monitor Kyle’s House attendance to see if it improved and gave the daycare until July to determine whether it would close.

“We lost six kids this month,” Stephens said.

Stephens said she and board members contacted eight other daycares in the area Thursday to check availabilities. The information will be given to parents who use Kyle’s House for daycare, she said.

While the daycare will close, Stephens said a social worker, information and resources for children with special needs will still be available at the Sunshine Shelter.

“We’re just so appreciative to the Hutchins family for allowing (Fertile Ground) to (open) the daycare in their son’s memory,” Stephens said.