Community will be moving from NBC to Yahoo! Screen for its highly-anticipated sixth season, but not all of the members of the popular comedy’s main cast will remain at Greendale Community College. Yvette Nicole Brown, who portrayed Shirley Bennett in the show’s first five seasons, has been released from her contract so she can take care of her ailing father.

Brown will reportedly continue her recurring role on CBS’ midseason reboot of The Odd Couple and will be seen in a recurring role on USA Network’s upcoming comedy Benched, but she explained to TV Guide that she is unable to commit to Community‘s strict schedule.

“My dad needs daily care and he needs me,” sad Brown. “The idea of being away 16 hours a day for five months, I couldn’t do it. It was a difficult decision for me to make, but I had to choose my dad.”

Sony Pictures TV and executive producers Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna have officially honored Brown’s request to be released from her Community contract, with Harmon and McKenna stating that “Yvette was an integral part of Community and is irreplaceable. We are sad to see her go and wish her the very best.”

It is not yet clear how the series will address Shirley Bennett’s absence, but Brown is confident that the writers will find a good way to write her off and is willing to returning for guest spots if necessary.

“I am totally open to whatever (series creator Dan Harmon) decides,” she said. “I’m glad it won’t be hard for them to explain where she is. She has three kids, a degree and a business. There are a lot of ways to explain her (departure).”

“I’m still Community’s biggest fan and I’ll still live Tweet episodes. It’s very bittersweet. I can take care of my dad but won’t be with my TV family. I don’t want the fans to worry; it’s going to be fine. Greendale is the heart of the show, not any particular character. Even if characters come and go, the heart of Greendale remains.”

Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong will all return for the sixth season of Community, and TV Guide reports that the show will be casting two new characters; a woman who’s brought in as a consultant to help shape up the school, and a retired salesman who comes to Greendale to reinvent himself.