Anybody's MD daycare/preschool still masking with no end date?

[Anonymous]

It seems like each week more and more drop them. Although ours has dropped the requirement for the kids they are still requiring them for all staff. And even though it's been 2 weeks I have only seen maybe 5 kids in the entire facility without a mask. Mine's still too young to mask anyway and I was happy they removed the requirement but if it continues like this we will have to pull our kid our and go somewhere where they are ACTUALLY not masking anymore.
Several of my friends have told me their preschools haven't lifted anything and are still talking about continued masking in the fall.

I honestly don't get it-when everything was so strict it was all "we are following CDC" and now it seems to be based on feelings instead.

[Anonymous]

Our preschool is all about the director's 'feelings about the mask.'. It is Terrible. A bunch of us plan to move kids for summer/next year. Masks may not totally go away next year...but we want to be in places where it is possibility because they have done it before.

[Anonymous]

Our daycare sets its own policy that is always more cautious than what is allowed. I do t see them ever going mask-optional indoors. We are now searching for a new center.

[Anonymous]

Our preschool is still masking. They took a parent survey and over 50% wanted to continue masking, and even among those who were comfortable lifting the mask mandate, many said they would be fine if it continued.

Reassessing at the end of the academic year in preparation for summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare sets its own policy that is always more cautious than what is allowed. I do t see them ever going mask-optional indoors. We are now searching for a new center.

Like they are planning masking permanently?

[Anonymous]

Ours is saying until all the kids can be vaccinated, based on the strong recommendation from the county (MoCo, cause they have more infectious disease experts than the CDC apparently!). So who knows when that will be.

But IME the vast majority of the parents at our daycare seem supportive of that, there is very little fuss. I don't really want to move DC, they are happy there, but I'm not comfortable with the idea that they may have to wear a mask until they turn 5 if the vaccine for the younger kids never pans out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ours is saying until all the kids can be vaccinated, based on the strong recommendation from the county (MoCo, cause they have more infectious disease experts than the CDC apparently!). So who knows when that will be.

But IME the vast majority of the parents at our daycare seem supportive of that, there is very little fuss. I don't really want to move DC, they are happy there, but I'm not comfortable with the idea that they may have to wear a mask until they turn 5 if the vaccine for the younger kids never pans out.

I think it is so appalling that MoCo DHHS is making this recommendation that isn't publicly announced anywhere but potentially impacts thousands of young children in the county. And then Dr. Bridgers sits up in front of the Council and claims that "it's just me" and he can choose to wear his mask, or not, it's his own personal preference. I guess that applies to literally everyone except for toddlers and preschoolers and their parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ours is saying until all the kids can be vaccinated, based on the strong recommendation from the county (MoCo, cause they have more infectious disease experts than the CDC apparently!). So who knows when that will be.

But IME the vast majority of the parents at our daycare seem supportive of that, there is very little fuss. I don't really want to move DC, they are happy there, but I'm not comfortable with the idea that they may have to wear a mask until they turn 5 if the vaccine for the younger kids never pans out.

I'm hopeful the vaccine will be approved around summer time but if not I hope these schools start to get a ton of push back from parents because nobody wants to start a whole new school year with masks again.

Also-I think these schools are overly optimistic about how many parents will vaccinate their toddlers. I am guessing overall it's actually going to be a pretty small percentage.

[Anonymous]

Be prepared for your day cares to make masks permanent because it reduces the spread of cold and flu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours is saying until all the kids can be vaccinated, based on the strong recommendation from the county (MoCo, cause they have more infectious disease experts than the CDC apparently!). So who knows when that will be.

But IME the vast majority of the parents at our daycare seem supportive of that, there is very little fuss. I don't really want to move DC, they are happy there, but I'm not comfortable with the idea that they may have to wear a mask until they turn 5 if the vaccine for the younger kids never pans out.

I'm hopeful the vaccine will be approved around summer time but if not I hope these schools start to get a ton of push back from parents because nobody wants to start a whole new school year with masks again.

Also-I think these schools are overly optimistic about how many parents will vaccinate their toddlers. I am guessing overall it's actually going to be a pretty small percentage.

I think it depends- I think the percentage will actually be pretty high at ours. There seem to be a lot o parents who have drunk the koolaid that these little kids need to be "protected" until they can get the vaccine.

[Anonymous]

names of the schools, please, for those of us shopping for next year!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be prepared for your day cares to make masks permanent because it reduces the spread of cold and flu.

Once more and more studies are published about how masking caused developmental issues in young children there is no way this happens. A couple have already come out but I would expect tons in the next couple of years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be prepared for your day cares to make masks permanent because it reduces the spread of cold and flu.

Once more and more studies are published about how masking caused developmental issues in young children there is no way this happens. A couple have already come out but I would expect tons in the next couple of years.

What studies? You guys keep saying this but nothing to back it up.

[Anonymous]

Yes, ours still requires masks indoors for everyone - kids and teacher. Clara Barton Center for Children.

Moreover, just YESTERDAY, the school administration told me they do it because "CDC and MCPS still haven't removed mask requirement for small children". I'm not sure if they are really 1 month behind on the news, or if they just thought I'm so clueless. Anyway, they said they will only reconsider when vaccines for small kids will become available. I wonder how having 1 out of 10 kids vaccinated will dramatically make it safer, or maybe they consider mandating vaccines for 0-4 year olds. Go figure.

[Anonymous]

Some of this, honestly, just takes some time for people to get used to. Our daycare center has been extremely cautious, following CDC and MDH guidance to a T. But, as a consequence of that, once CDC and MDH revised their guidance to drop the mask requirement, the center did too. Until this week, almost everyone was still wearing masks. But I noticed a sharp drop off this week, presumably after some initial kids and staff broke the ice.

Something similar might be happening with the centers that haven't change their policies yet.

On the flip side, though, if they haven't changed it by now, it really isn't clear what it would take.