Parents with children at Midmill Nursery in Kintore have been told they will need to find an alternative after March 28.
The nursery is to be mothballed, with the council decided there are too few youngsters using its facilities.
A spokesperson accepted it may be a “shock” to parents, after they were notified of the decision in an email sent out this week.
The nursery is currently operating at 58% of its operational capacity – which the council said represented an average of nine children per class.
The decision is to be reviewed, with the council stressing it is not, at present, a permanent closure.
A permanent closure would also require consultation with families.
Parents were informed of the news via an email on Monday.
It reads: “I’m writing to you to let you know that after March 28, 2025, there won’t be any Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) being delivered from Midmill Primary ELC.
“Mothballing/deactivating means that the nursery will no longer be offering ELC in the short to medium term.
“This will require you to choose another Early Learning and Childcare setting for your child to attend from March 31.”
Parents have been informed that they will need to apply for a space at another nursery within the next week.
Aberdeenshire Council say that all families will be able to access an alternate ELC.
This includes another council-run ELC, and two funded providers which are also below capacity.
Deployment opportunities for nursery staff will be worked on with the Early Years Service.
Aberdeenshire Council announce mothballing of Kintore nursery
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesperson said: “We appreciate the mothballing of a nursery can be a shock to the community.
“But our decision to mothball Midmill Nursery has been carefully considered through our agreed procedures.
“It reflects our responsibility to ensure the quality of service and securing best value and the most efficient use of the public pound.
“In Kintore, there is a further council-run ELC setting and two funded providers, all of which are running under capacity.
“All families will be able to access their alternate choices for ELC in the local area.
“The alternative choices offer a range of flexibilities beyond that offered currently at Midmill.
“The Early Years Service will work with staff for deployment opportunities.”
They added: “As this is not a decision to permanently close the nursery, the decision will be reviewed, taking into consideration demand and forecast data.
“Any decision to permanently close the nursery would require full consultation with parents and local communities in line with legislation.”
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