As day care closes, owners say ‘thank you’ to community

ASHEBORO — C.C. and Carrie Pharr, owners of The Children’s Center of Asheboro, have announced the day care will close on May 29 after more than 50 years of operation. Rising costs for food, utilities and gas were becoming too much to overcome, issues all too familiar with any owners of small businesses.

In a farewell letter to the community, the owners thank many of the people who helped move the day care forward over the past half-century. Here is the letter they wished to be published in Randolph Hub:

“To all the children, parents and amazing teachers involved in the Children’s Center of Asheboro:

“After providing Day Care for over 53 years starting out at our home on Lambert Drive as ‘Carrie Pharr Day Care’ and later relocating to a facility on downtown Sunset Avenue owned by the late Paul Trollinger and later over to the Victory Church property located on Salisbury Street where we are now located, we will be closing the Center. The last day of business will be Friday, May 29, 2026.

“We first want to thank our professional staff, many who have been with us well over 20+ years for their support and love for children. We have had so many supportive parents and teachers over the years and when we are out and about we seem to always run into somebody and they say ‘I stayed at your daycare.’

“We would also like to thank several key folks who served as Directors of the Center. First, Pat Woodall who is still involved and has been with the center over 35 years, and our current Director Debbie Lockhart who has been with us 31 years, and our assistants for such devotion and loyalty through the years. We also want to thank the maintenance repair folks that always seem to keep the doors open like Monty Barker, Jim Vittie, Willie Mitchell and Jerry Myers and several others, and local businesses like Brueilly Auto Repair who have taken care of us in so many emergencies with our school vans.

“After the announcement was made last week, we’re very encouraged that our teachers are going to be able to find other employment and our families are finding care. There seems to be a need in the area and we’re praying that everyone will find the job they need to keep working and excellent care for their children. Thank you to the Randolph Partnership for all the help you are giving our teachers and families. Thank you to all the local agencies we have work with over the years. Again, thanks to the Asheboro community, Randolph County, and the city and county school systems for supporting us over the years. This is certainly a bittersweet day for Carrie and I but it is the right decision at the right time.

“Whatever ends up on the property, we just hope it’s a strong Christian business and we will leave that up to the Lord.”

C.C. and Carrie Pharr,

Owners