came to say their goodbyes before the facility closes at the end of the week.

The owners of The Nurses Practice, Liz Boden and Rita Stevens, have no choice but to close up shop tomorrow as they have been unable to find another location or reverse their landlord's decision to evict them.

The facility, on South Road in Smith's Parish, has provided parents and parents-to-be with child birth, parenting and asthma classes for the last four years.

The parents present yesterday were outraged and disappointed at the operation's closing and wondered what they were going to do without the support and wealth of information they had once received there.

One mother broke down in tears when told that she would no longer be able to come to The Nurses Practice to get advice on caring for her 13-month-old son.

Annette Cook's water broke during a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) class at The Nurses Practice. Her son Alexander was born three months premature and weighed only two pounds, 11 ounces.

She said he spent the first two months of his life in the hospital but was constantly visited by staff from The Nurses Practice.

"This is a tragedy,'' Mrs. Cook said. " It's disgusting that Government will not help.

"It appears that the Government is more willing to spend millions of dollars on travel instead of something like this.'' She noted that without the classes and support of The Nurses Practice things might have been very different with her son.

Many of the other parents in the room felt the same way.

Yalonda Showers spoke to The Royal Gazette as she sat in a corner giving her two-and-a-half month old daughter, Kailyn, her last meal in the busy surroundings of The Nurses Practice.

She said that without the classes she and her husband attended before the birth of their daughter, he would not be as involved in her life as he was now.

"It gives the husbands a chance to become more involved in their children's lives,'' she said.

"At first my husband was apprehensive about the role he would play in the labour room and in my daughter's life, but because of the course that we took he is more attuned to my daughter.'' She added that The Nurses Practice was a place where parents could go to ask the questions they felt silly going to their doctors with.

"It's easier to come here then to go to your doctor. It might be something small that you feel stupid asking your doctor about, but you can come here and they will help.

"Not only that, but most paediatricians on the Island are men. Sometimes you just need the advice of a woman who has been through what you are going through and can offer her advice.'' Another mother said she believed that the loss of the invaluable support and information offered by The Nurses Practice to first time parents will leave many of them floundering.

"They are a tremendous support especially for people with their first baby,'' said Cathryn Towlson.

"None of us really know what to do or expect when we have our first child.'' The Nurses Practice will still hold child birth classes -- in church halls -- and there are plans afoot to keep parenting classes going at other locations.

The owners said they are hope-ful that there may still be a chance to find another permanent location for their service.

Photos by David Skinner Bye Bye: Two-and-a-half week old Kailyn Showers joined her mother saying farewell to their friends at The Nurses Practice yesterday.

What's that?: Six-and-a-half week old Shaun Towlson, above, checks out the other stuff in the room, while his mom browses through the books on sale at The Nurses Practice's closing sale. At right, ten-week-old Jordan Pegg stares intently at the book his mom is holding.