MoCo childcare COVID policies forum

[Anonymous]

Back again-

They said that if a child under five who has had Covid, is in contact with Covid again then they still must quarantine they are considered exposed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not trying to sock puppet but I am coming back to the thread with quasi live reactions.

The fact that they’re saying all of this was guidance and not mandatory is a flat out lie or misrepresentation of what we have been told this entire time. And yes we are mandating masks under five because if we don’t We have been written up by our specialists (each of whom has their own interpretation of all of this) and parents read the reports and think we’re awful daycares.

I’m completely in the dark about this test to stay letter. I have not received any communication. But all of this is meaningless if it’s all guidance and we don’t have to do it we can just either go back to how we did things pre-Covid or be more conservative in our regulations. It’s all a tossup and doesn’t help us. It puts us at odds with bully parents who want to dictate how we run our businesses. Some of us are family daycares, Some have multiple centers and everybody is told differently.

I’m trying to do my best and be in compliance but all of this conflict information is upsetting.

Parent here and I feel for the childcare providers- please understand that most of our frustration is geared toward the CDC, state, and county. Our center director has told us similar stories, how DHHS and the specialists weren't "allowing" any deviations from the DHHS "guidance."

Our former in-home provider, who lives in our neighborhood so we still talk to, seems to have a slightly easier time of it as she did not require masks for kids upon reopening in summer 2020 and just stuck with it. Some families chose not to return due to this but especially now she's had no problem filling the spots. Maybe parents are a bit more realistic about the efficacy of masking with a mixed age group anyway, but I imagine it will be harder to stop requiring masks when they've been in place so long. There will always be parents who think they continue to be necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not trying to sock puppet but I am coming back to the thread with quasi live reactions.

The fact that they’re saying all of this was guidance and not mandatory is a flat out lie or misrepresentation of what we have been told this entire time. And yes we are mandating masks under five because if we don’t We have been written up by our specialists (each of whom has their own interpretation of all of this) and parents read the reports and think we’re awful daycares.

I’m completely in the dark about this test to stay letter. I have not received any communication. But all of this is meaningless if it’s all guidance and we don’t have to do it we can just either go back to how we did things pre-Covid or be more conservative in our regulations. It’s all a tossup and doesn’t help us. It puts us at odds with bully parents who want to dictate how we run our businesses. Some of us are family daycares, Some have multiple centers and everybody is told differently.

I’m trying to do my best and be in compliance but all of this conflict information is upsetting.

Parent here and I feel for the childcare providers- please understand that most of our frustration is geared toward the CDC, state, and county. Our center director has told us similar stories, how DHHS and the specialists weren't "allowing" any deviations from the DHHS "guidance."

Our former in-home provider, who lives in our neighborhood so we still talk to, seems to have a slightly easier time of it as she did not require masks for kids upon reopening in summer 2020 and just stuck with it. Some families chose not to return due to this but especially now she's had no problem filling the spots. Maybe parents are a bit more realistic about the efficacy of masking with a mixed age group anyway, but I imagine it will be harder to stop requiring masks when they've been in place so long. There will always be parents who think they continue to be necessary.

Thank you for understanding. Unfortunately many parents are not understanding, just see all of these daycare threads. It is disheartening.

I have been speaking with other local daycares and ALL of us understood these guidelines to be mandatory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not trying to sock puppet but I am coming back to the thread with quasi live reactions.

The fact that they’re saying all of this was guidance and not mandatory is a flat out lie or misrepresentation of what we have been told this entire time. And yes we are mandating masks under five because if we don’t We have been written up by our specialists (each of whom has their own interpretation of all of this) and parents read the reports and think we’re awful daycares.

I’m completely in the dark about this test to stay letter. I have not received any communication. But all of this is meaningless if it’s all guidance and we don’t have to do it we can just either go back to how we did things pre-Covid or be more conservative in our regulations. It’s all a tossup and doesn’t help us. It puts us at odds with bully parents who want to dictate how we run our businesses. Some of us are family daycares, Some have multiple centers and everybody is told differently.

I’m trying to do my best and be in compliance but all of this conflict information is upsetting.

Parent here and I feel for the childcare providers- please understand that most of our frustration is geared toward the CDC, state, and county. Our center director has told us similar stories, how DHHS and the specialists weren't "allowing" any deviations from the DHHS "guidance."

Our former in-home provider, who lives in our neighborhood so we still talk to, seems to have a slightly easier time of it as she did not require masks for kids upon reopening in summer 2020 and just stuck with it. Some families chose not to return due to this but especially now she's had no problem filling the spots. Maybe parents are a bit more realistic about the efficacy of masking with a mixed age group anyway, but I imagine it will be harder to stop requiring masks when they've been in place so long. There will always be parents who think they continue to be necessary.

Thank you for understanding. Unfortunately many parents are not understanding, just see all of these daycare threads. It is disheartening.

I have been speaking with other local daycares and ALL of us understood these guidelines to be mandatory.

I am also so sorry for the position you are put in as providers. We parents are so grateful for all that you're doing!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the notes. Does this mean that under five do not need to mask? That’s a Montgomery county rule, it’s not state rule.

We also need to keep in mind that daycares and preschools are businesses that can have more restrictive policies and rules then what the state and county mandate.

Most daycares actually cite the state's "strong recommendation" that children 2+ wear mask, rather than the MoCo mask mandate (which applies to places that are "accessible to the public," so arguably, not daycares.) So until the state guidance changes, I think many providers will still require masking. We're working on changing that state guidance!!

And yes, correct about daycares choosing to be stricter. But it may be hard for them to justify doing so when it represents a departure from CDC, state, and county guidance, as well as what other providers in the county are doing.

From the forum last night, daycares can also choose to be less strict. It sounds like they can pretty much do whatever they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back again-

They said that if a child under five who has had Covid, is in contact with Covid again then they still must quarantine they are considered exposed.

That is not science.

That is just enforcing policies so that you will run to get the vaccine when it is approved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back again-

They said that if a child under five who has had Covid, is in contact with Covid again then they still must quarantine they are considered exposed.

That is not science.

That is just enforcing policies so that you will run to get the vaccine when it is approved.

Frankly, I will be surprised if when a vaccine is available for under 5 they change the guidelines to vaccinated = do not have to quarantine. I just have a feeling they will make a little stricter--like you need a test. I don't know why but I just get that impression it will be hard to let go for daycares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back again-

They said that if a child under five who has had Covid, is in contact with Covid again then they still must quarantine they are considered exposed.

That is not science.

That is just enforcing policies so that you will run to get the vaccine when it is approved.

Frankly, I will be surprised if when a vaccine is available for under 5 they change the guidelines to vaccinated = do not have to quarantine. I just have a feeling they will make a little stricter--like you need a test. I don't know why but I just get that impression it will be hard to let go for daycares.

You may be right. I actually think the recent guidance indicates that CDC is starting to acknowledge the need for more balance- e.g. are the cases prevented by excessive daycare restrictions worth the number of parents being driven from the workforce? MoCo isn't there yet and I don't know when/if they will be. It's still Covid prevention above all else.