If you're struggling with daycare quarantines (and live in MoCo)

[Anonymous]

Multiple of us have messaged them and they all seem to have the same reply. You're not going to get an answer:

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out!

At this time Montgomery county is in the process of approving that guidance. A decision has not been made and it is not clear IF MoCo will differ. Please check in with your child's facility for updates.

If there are ongoing quarantines at your facility, we encourage you to speak with your facility about strategies they are implementing to lower the risk of transmission. We never quarantine anyone who does not meet the “close contact” definition of within 6ft for at least 15 minutes. I’ll refer you to our guidance that specifically discusses the benefits of vaccinations, masking, distancing when possible, cohorting, testing, and staying home when sick. These are all strategies that can help reduce needed quarantines but most importantly keep us all safe.



https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/Documents/K12%20School%20and%20Childcare%20COVID-19%20Guidance_10.27.21.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a daycare in Montgomery County and haven’t heard anything to the contrary from the county. We already adopted the state guidance, we’re licensed and regulated by the state and not the county.

If the county opposes these new guidelines, well that ship has sailed! The new guidance came out last week. If they oppose that they would’ve put out a statement or email to daycare‘s but they haven’t.

That is a big relief to hear. We are hearing a different assessment from other providers, however. They believe that licensing requires them to report cases to the MoCo Health Dept., and that if the Health Dept. then gives them quarantine guidance that differs from the state's, (i.e., quarantine a class for 14 days vs. 5), that providers have to follow that even if it is more strict.

What are you thoughts on that?

If daycares have strict safety measures in place they would not have to follow 14-day guidelines for every student. That is what has been communicated to my facility multiple times. Direct your frustrations at these facilities for failing to implement adequate measures to overcome state guidance. Quarantines would affect less students with proper spacing or sectioning children into smaller groups. This has kept most of the children in my facilities from qurantines over the past few weeks. There are steps these daycares can take--have you spoken with them? Might be easier to move the needle there then at the health department.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a daycare in Montgomery County and haven’t heard anything to the contrary from the county. We already adopted the state guidance, we’re licensed and regulated by the state and not the county.

If the county opposes these new guidelines, well that ship has sailed! The new guidance came out last week. If they oppose that they would’ve put out a statement or email to daycare‘s but they haven’t.

That is a big relief to hear. We are hearing a different assessment from other providers, however. They believe that licensing requires them to report cases to the MoCo Health Dept., and that if the Health Dept. then gives them quarantine guidance that differs from the state's, (i.e., quarantine a class for 14 days vs. 5), that providers have to follow that even if it is more strict.

What are you thoughts on that?

If daycares have strict safety measures in place they would not have to follow 14-day guidelines for every student. That is what has been communicated to my facility multiple times. Direct your frustrations at these facilities for failing to implement adequate measures to overcome state guidance. Quarantines would affect less students with proper spacing or sectioning children into smaller groups. This has kept most of the children in my facilities from qurantines over the past few weeks. There are steps these daycares can take--have you spoken with them? Might be easier to move the needle there then at the health department.

Our daycare takes every precaution possible. But you can't space or section 2-year olds. Are they being directed to quarantine classes for 14- days because of that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a daycare in Montgomery County and haven’t heard anything to the contrary from the county. We already adopted the state guidance, we’re licensed and regulated by the state and not the county.

If the county opposes these new guidelines, well that ship has sailed! The new guidance came out last week. If they oppose that they would’ve put out a statement or email to daycare‘s but they haven’t.

That is a big relief to hear. We are hearing a different assessment from other providers, however. They believe that licensing requires them to report cases to the MoCo Health Dept., and that if the Health Dept. then gives them quarantine guidance that differs from the state's, (i.e., quarantine a class for 14 days vs. 5), that providers have to follow that even if it is more strict.

What are you thoughts on that?

If daycares have strict safety measures in place they would not have to follow 14-day guidelines for every student. That is what has been communicated to my facility multiple times. Direct your frustrations at these facilities for failing to implement adequate measures to overcome state guidance. Quarantines would affect less students with proper spacing or sectioning children into smaller groups. This has kept most of the children in my facilities from qurantines over the past few weeks. There are steps these daycares can take--have you spoken with them? Might be easier to move the needle there then at the health department.

So you keep all the kids 6ft apart at all times? That’s….sad, not to mention not realistic for toddlers.

[Anonymous]

DHHS isn't actually issuing quarantine orders to kids, are they? They're just telling the child care centers to instruct the kids to quarantine for 10 days.

Or am I misunderstanding the process here? I believe the county health officer *can* legally order quarantines, but I didn't think that's what was going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DHHS isn't actually issuing quarantine orders to kids, are they? They're just telling the child care centers to instruct the kids to quarantine for 10 days.

Or am I misunderstanding the process here? I believe the county health officer *can* legally order quarantines, but I didn't think that's what was going on.

This is a snippet from what our center sent out to parents:

“ The County is still requiring 10 day quarantines from the date of exposure for children older than 2 and 14 days of quarantine for children 2 and under. Also, the County makes the determination for the start date for quarantine – CENTER does not have the discretion to set its own start dates or test out policies.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DHHS isn't actually issuing quarantine orders to kids, are they? They're just telling the child care centers to instruct the kids to quarantine for 10 days.

Or am I misunderstanding the process here? I believe the county health officer *can* legally order quarantines, but I didn't think that's what was going on.

This is a snippet from what our center sent out to parents:

“ The County is still requiring 10 day quarantines from the date of exposure for children older than 2 and 14 days of quarantine for children 2 and under. Also, the County makes the determination for the start date for quarantine – CENTER does not have the discretion to set its own start dates or test out policies.”

Many of us have been struggling with this issue in other forums. We referred back to MDH and MSDE's K-12 and childcare guidance (https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/Documents/K12%20School%20and%20Childcare%20COVID-19%20Guidance_10.27.21.pdf) and we (and many centers) believe they are not required to follow the county's quarantine recommendations:

"By law, each local school system, nonpublic school, and child care program may set their own
policies and procedures for their schools, students/children, teachers, and staff. However,
MDH and MSDE strongly recommend that these entities work with local health departments
to implement the layered prevention strategies (e.g., using multiple prevention strategies
together consistently) needed to protect students/children, teachers, and staff in their setting
and adopt policies consistent with the recommendations in this guidance."

[Anonymous]

UPDATE: Bad news: MoCo released updated quarantine and isolation guidance yesterday (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/Resources/Files/quarantine/I-Q-guidance-schools-childcare.pdf) that deviates from the CDC and Maryland state guidance (https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/Documents/01.06.2022%20Memo%20School%20Childcare%20Guidance.pdf) by imposing a 10 (vs. 5) day quarantine for exposed children under 5.

Please urgently reach out the officials below via email and Twitter.

Here are sample messages to send:

"@MoCoDHHS is contradicting the state and CDC by requiring a 10 (vs. 5) day quarantine for children <5. This is unconscionable & will cause the collapse of childcare as an essential service, cost parents their jobs, & drive flight from MoCo daycares. Please help."

"If @MoCoDHHS' rationale is that kids under 5 don’t mask all day, note that MD's guidance accounts for this fact. And ask your colleagues to reckon with the cruelty of forcibly masking toddlers and preschoolers while imposing policies that treat them as if they’re fully unmasked."

And the list of officials to contact:

COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND COUNCILMEMBERS:
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS:
james.bridgers@montgomerycountymdgov
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

Twitter handles: @Marc_Elrich, @MontCoExec, @hansriemer, @willjawando, @EvanMGlass, @albornoz_gabe, @Andrew_Friedson, @RicePolitics, @MC_Council_Katz, @nancy_navarro, @tomhucker, @MoCoDHHS, @MCDHHSDirector, @riccimike, @EarlStoddard

[Anonymous]

For anyone who's following this roller coaster of a story... In no small part due to the pressure and outreach from parents, last night MoCo revised the K-12 and childcare guidance to allow for a 5-day quarantine for children under 5 who are exposed but test negative! (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/Resources/Files/quarantine/I-Q-guidance-schools-childcare.pdf)

I know many daycares are planning to follow this, but some are not. I highly encourage you to flag this change for your centers and tell them that others in MoCo are following it.

Do also continue to push for test-to-stay, because 5 days is still too long to quarantine healthy children. We should also press county officials to help us understand why their guidance subjects children under 5 to a 10-day isolation period following infection with no option to test out, since the CDC and Maryland guidance do not impose this requirement on children under 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For anyone who's following this roller coaster of a story... In no small part due to the pressure and outreach from parents, last night MoCo revised the K-12 and childcare guidance to allow for a 5-day quarantine for children under 5 who are exposed but test negative! (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/Resources/Files/quarantine/I-Q-guidance-schools-childcare.pdf)

I know many daycares are planning to follow this, but some are not. I highly encourage you to flag this change for your centers and tell them that others in MoCo are following it.

Do also continue to push for test-to-stay, because 5 days is still too long to quarantine healthy children. We should also press county officials to help us understand why their guidance subjects children under 5 to a 10-day isolation period following infection with no option to test out, since the CDC and Maryland guidance do not impose this requirement on children under 5.

Oh thank you I had not seen that! Glad to see our emails were worthwhile and some common sense prevailed. I’d like to see test to stay too, I just see a lot of childcare’s struggling to implement something like this. I think they’d have to rely on parents giving tests themselves and being honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For anyone who's following this roller coaster of a story... In no small part due to the pressure and outreach from parents, last night MoCo revised the K-12 and childcare guidance to allow for a 5-day quarantine for children under 5 who are exposed but test negative! (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/Resources/Files/quarantine/I-Q-guidance-schools-childcare.pdf)

I know many daycares are planning to follow this, but some are not. I highly encourage you to flag this change for your centers and tell them that others in MoCo are following it.

Do also continue to push for test-to-stay, because 5 days is still too long to quarantine healthy children. We should also press county officials to help us understand why their guidance subjects children under 5 to a 10-day isolation period following infection with no option to test out, since the CDC and Maryland guidance do not impose this requirement on children under 5.

These new guidelines don't change anything for the kids under 5 who can't wear a mask (2 and under at my center). They still have the ridiculous ten day guidelines for them even if they test negative day five, read the fine print:


The following recommendations apply to: • Children younger than 5 years old.
These children should quarantine after exposure as follows: • Stay home for 10 days after the last close contact4 with the person with COVID-19 (Day 1 is considered the first full day after the date of last close contact) • If no symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after the last close contact. o If the child tests negative, they may return to school or childcare PROVIDED they wear a well-fitting mask when around others** until 10 days after their last close contact; o If the child tests positive, they should follow the recommendations for isolation above. • If the person develops symptoms they should get tested immediately and remain at home; if the test is positive, they should follow the recommendations for isolation above. • If the child is unable to mask around others, they should remain at home for 10 days from the date of last close contact.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone's daycare center actually updated their quarantine guidance yet? I wasn't expecting anything immediately but now it's been a week and still radio silence. They've always cited to the county/state guidance when setting policy (typically deferring to the more conservative of the two).

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, despite releasing quarantine and isolation guidance on January 16 that aligns with the Maryland state guidance by allowing a 5-day quarantine period for exposed children under 5, Montgomery County Health Department Officials are apparently telling childcare providers that they have to implement a 10-day quarantine period for all children under 5. This directly contravenes statements by county health leaders that the January 16 Health Department guidance allows a 5-day quarantine.

If you agree that this is unacceptable and will needlessly crush working families, please contact our local officials by email and on Twitter as soon as possible.

Please also share this far and wide - to parents groups, WhatsApp groups, listservs, Facebook groups, etc., that you are a part of.

Here are some sample Tweets/messages:

"@MoCoDHHS is contradicting the state, the CDC, and its own guidance by telling providers a 10 (vs. 5) day quarantine is required for children <5. This is unconscionable & will cause the collapse of childcare as an essential service, cost parents their jobs, & drive flight from MoCo daycares. Please help."

"If @MoCoDHHS' rationale is that kids under 5 don’t mask all day, note that both the MoCo and MD guidance accounts for this fact. Moreover, imposing such a policy perpetuates the cruelty of forcibly masking toddlers and preschoolers while requiring quarantines that treat them as if they’re fully unmasked."

"@MoCoDHHS urgently needs to clarify that its guidance permits a 5-day quarantine for children <5, as @EarlStoddard has also confirmed."

"In addition, it's critical that @MoCoDHHSprovide approval for childcare providers to implement test-to-stay. It's CDC-approved for unvaxxed kids and being implemented in DC daycares. Providers wouldn't need to procure and administer tests; parents could do that."

"Not approving this evidence-based solution will drive parent flight from MoCo daycares."

"Parents are at a breaking point. They are burning paid time off, leaving their jobs, and self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. Teachers and health care workers with young children are forced to stay home, further exacerbating staffing shortages in hospitals and schools. Children are being placed into suboptimal care with older siblings and vulnerable grandparents. End these damaging policies now."

Here is the list of officials to contact:

COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND COUNCILMEMBERS:
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS:
[e-mail]
james.bridgers@montgomerycountymdgov
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

Twitter handles: @Marc_Elrich, @MontCoExec, @hansriemer, @willjawando, @EvanMGlass, @albornoz_gabe, @Andrew_Friedson, @RicePolitics, @MC_Council_Katz, @nancy_navarro, @tomhucker, @MoCoDHHS, @MCDHHSDirector, @riccimike, @EarlStoddard

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, despite releasing quarantine and isolation guidance on January 16 that aligns with the Maryland state guidance by allowing a 5-day quarantine period for exposed children under 5, Montgomery County Health Department Officials are apparently telling childcare providers that they have to implement a 10-day quarantine period for all children under 5. This directly contravenes statements by county health leaders that the January 16 Health Department guidance allows a 5-day quarantine.

If you agree that this is unacceptable and will needlessly crush working families, please contact our local officials by email and on Twitter as soon as possible.

Please also share this far and wide - to parents groups, WhatsApp groups, listservs, Facebook groups, etc., that you are a part of.

Here are some sample Tweets/messages:

"@MoCoDHHS is contradicting the state, the CDC, and its own guidance by telling providers a 10 (vs. 5) day quarantine is required for children <5. This is unconscionable & will cause the collapse of childcare as an essential service, cost parents their jobs, & drive flight from MoCo daycares. Please help."

"If @MoCoDHHS' rationale is that kids under 5 don’t mask all day, note that both the MoCo and MD guidance accounts for this fact. Moreover, imposing such a policy perpetuates the cruelty of forcibly masking toddlers and preschoolers while requiring quarantines that treat them as if they’re fully unmasked."

"@MoCoDHHS urgently needs to clarify that its guidance permits a 5-day quarantine for children <5, as @EarlStoddard has also confirmed."

"In addition, it's critical that @MoCoDHHSprovide approval for childcare providers to implement test-to-stay. It's CDC-approved for unvaxxed kids and being implemented in DC daycares. Providers wouldn't need to procure and administer tests; parents could do that."

"Not approving this evidence-based solution will drive parent flight from MoCo daycares."

"Parents are at a breaking point. They are burning paid time off, leaving their jobs, and self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. Teachers and health care workers with young children are forced to stay home, further exacerbating staffing shortages in hospitals and schools. Children are being placed into suboptimal care with older siblings and vulnerable grandparents. End these damaging policies now."

Here is the list of officials to contact:

COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND COUNCILMEMBERS:
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS:
[e-mail]
james.bridgers@montgomerycountymdgov
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

Twitter handles: @Marc_Elrich, @MontCoExec, @hansriemer, @willjawando, @EvanMGlass, @albornoz_gabe, @Andrew_Friedson, @RicePolitics, @MC_Council_Katz, @nancy_navarro, @tomhucker, @MoCoDHHS, @MCDHHSDirector, @riccimike, @EarlStoddard

JFC, you have got to be kidding me. What is wrong with these people?

[Anonymous]

I feel like the January 16 memo was changed. I could have sworn when I first read it it said under 5 had to only quarantine for 5 days. Now it seems to say 10 days. Did they change it officially?