Parents who send their infants and toddlers to Millis Country Day School have stepped in to save the school after it appeared to be going out of business.

Several Norfolk families are among the more than 25 families who have raised more than $15,000 dur­ing the past week keep the school, said Thomas Burke, a Norfolk resident and one of the parents. Anonymous donors among the parents have also given hot meals and groceries.

The economic downturn has squeezed the pre­school to the point where it wasn’t profitable any­more. Thomas and Jennifer Burke have been sending their 11-month-old twin daughters to Millis Country Day School for about eight months.

Thomas Burke said he is impressed by the instruc­tion and development of social skills fostered at the school by the teachers and the school’s director, Cath­erine McGuiggin.

“If you walk in there, you’re done looking. Cath­erine, the director, is phenomenal. The teachers, at least in my opinion, you’re not going to find better care for your kids,” Burke said in an interview late this week. “… As soon as we had found out they had closed, we really wanted to do something to change that.”

Among other things, he said, music lessons and hot meals are provided at the school as part of its ba­sic rates.

Rates vary depending on the age of the children. The Burkes pay $156 a day to send their two infant daughters there.

Millis Country Day School was founded in 1978. The current owner, Joseph DePesa, has owned it for about 14 years. DePesa could not be reached for comment late this week.

Burke said DePesa has told parents he wants to pay them back, but that parents have no guarantee that they’ll see the money again and don’t necessarily expect to, either.

“This is a gift,” Burke said. “It means that much to us as parents that this school survives.”

Parents have replaced a farewell cookout with a celebration cookout, to coincide with an open house designed to drum up business. The cookout is sched­uled for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 10.

The parents have set up a web site, www. milliscountryday.com.

Unrelated to Millis Country Day School, Burke is also a member of the Norfolk Planning Board and a candidate for the town’s Board of Health.

Burke said the donations make the break-even point for the school much more doable. “We’re thrilled with the progress we’ve made in a week,” Burke said.