Maryland Daycares Closing March 27th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, it's pretty terrible. I get that the state is in a tough position, but this caught everyone pretty flat-footed.

Our center just closed. They had only been serving 30 kids total (this is across almost 2 dozen rooms) since the public schools closed, but now they are closing entirely.

On the subject of the state centers, this is what they said: "Conceptually these EPCC Centers should be a regular Child Care center which has passed through some quality check screening and should meet some degree of quality standards. I cannot give you much more feedback. I did speak with our MSDE representative and it is pretty clear that they were caught by surprise by this pretty rapid shift in direction. So it may take a few days to get sorted out."

So even within the childcare provider community, it doesn't seem like anyone has good information about this.

I think a lot of bigger centers where one person doesn't make the decisions and this would have to go through corporate aren't going to be able to submit paperwork in time.

PP here. I think that's why ours wasn't able to stay open. They're a franchise and MD didn't give enough time for corporate to make a decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused on this. Families are just supposed to drop their kids at random centers that will take them?

Yes, and this is craziness!
We are both essential but luckily one of us works evenings so we dont need daytime childcare, just twice a week for 3 hours each time in the afternoon. We are making do with a babysitter but for people who need childcare who are essential this is crazy.

We are both considered essential too and I really don't know what we are going to do. Not dropping my daughter somewhere random- we were comfortable were she was (in home daycare) because there were only a handful still coming and we know everyone.

Guess one of us will not be going into work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused on this. Families are just supposed to drop their kids at random centers that will take them?

Yes, and this is craziness!
We are both essential but luckily one of us works evenings so we dont need daytime childcare, just twice a week for 3 hours each time in the afternoon. We are making do with a babysitter but for people who need childcare who are essential this is crazy.

We are both considered essential too and I really don't know what we are going to do. Not dropping my daughter somewhere random- we were comfortable were she was (in home daycare) because there were only a handful still coming and we know everyone.

Guess one of us will not be going into work.

Do you think one of the in-home daycare workers would be willing to babysit her at your house? It would cost you more but at least you know she is in good hands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused on this. Families are just supposed to drop their kids at random centers that will take them?

Yes, and this is craziness!
We are both essential but luckily one of us works evenings so we dont need daytime childcare, just twice a week for 3 hours each time in the afternoon. We are making do with a babysitter but for people who need childcare who are essential this is crazy.

Yeah that's crazy. Also, eveyrone says there aren't many two essential worker couple but htere are actually a lot. A LOT of nurses marry firefighters or doctors.

+1 In a previous thread someone said they need to do this (have centers for essential personnel's families) and I brought up problem of asking people to drop their kids off with a random provider. I got slammed for that comment for some reason. As though essential workers somehow can't worry about their kids?

It's also really hard for the daycare workers whose employers are now opening up to new kids. Before, they probably had about 3 kids who they knew well (and knew them well). Now they are getting more kids, possibly from a bigger range of ages, that don't know them.

[Anonymous]

Can someone shine more light on what they mean by "Government personnel required to working during the emergency." Most government workers I know (local, state, or federal) are still working, but a lot are doing so from home. So does this apply to all of them or just those required to physically go into the office? This could have been made clearer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shine more light on what they mean by "Government personnel required to working during the emergency." Most government workers I know (local, state, or federal) are still working, but a lot are doing so from home. So does this apply to all of them or just those required to physically go into the office? This could have been made clearer.

I assume that means those required to go into the office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shine more light on what they mean by "Government personnel required to working during the emergency." Most government workers I know (local, state, or federal) are still working, but a lot are doing so from home. So does this apply to all of them or just those required to physically go into the office? This could have been made clearer.

I assume that means those required to go into the office.

I would hope it would include those required to work, but cannot realistically do so without a caregiver for their child. Got a 10 year at home? Sure, you can work. Got twin infants/toddlers? Yeah, telework isn't going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shine more light on what they mean by "Government personnel required to working during the emergency." Most government workers I know (local, state, or federal) are still working, but a lot are doing so from home. So does this apply to all of them or just those required to physically go into the office? This could have been made clearer.

I assume that means those required to go into the office.

I would hope it would include those required to work, but cannot realistically do so without a caregiver for their child. Got a 10 year at home? Sure, you can work. Got twin infants/toddlers? Yeah, telework isn't going to happen.

While I totally get what you're saying, my guess is it only includes people who can't work from home.

Frankly, it really sucks and I wish MD hadn't done it this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused on this. Families are just supposed to drop their kids at random centers that will take them?

Yes, and this is craziness!
We are both essential but luckily one of us works evenings so we dont need daytime childcare, just twice a week for 3 hours each time in the afternoon. We are making do with a babysitter but for people who need childcare who are essential this is crazy.

We are both considered essential too and I really don't know what we are going to do. Not dropping my daughter somewhere random- we were comfortable were she was (in home daycare) because there were only a handful still coming and we know everyone.

Guess one of us will not be going into work.

Do you think one of the in-home daycare workers would be willing to babysit her at your house? It would cost you more but at least you know she is in good hands.

OP here.

I've been wondering about something similar. The executive order loosens restrictions on "family and friend child care providers" so now they can watch up to 5 unrelated children in the provider's home. Can a small in-home daycare technically close down, but continue to operate on that basis?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shine more light on what they mean by "Government personnel required to working during the emergency." Most government workers I know (local, state, or federal) are still working, but a lot are doing so from home. So does this apply to all of them or just those required to physically go into the office? This could have been made clearer.

I assume that means those required to go into the office.

The order from Hogan has a full list of who is considered essential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shine more light on what they mean by "Government personnel required to working during the emergency." Most government workers I know (local, state, or federal) are still working, but a lot are doing so from home. So does this apply to all of them or just those required to physically go into the office? This could have been made clearer.

I assume that means those required to go into the office.

The order from Hogan has a full list of who is considered essential.

We know. The question is whether "government employees who are required to work" includes teleworkers or only those required to go into the office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused on this. Families are just supposed to drop their kids at random centers that will take them?

Yes, and this is craziness!
We are both essential but luckily one of us works evenings so we dont need daytime childcare, just twice a week for 3 hours each time in the afternoon. We are making do with a babysitter but for people who need childcare who are essential this is crazy.

We are both considered essential too and I really don't know what we are going to do. Not dropping my daughter somewhere random- we were comfortable were she was (in home daycare) because there were only a handful still coming and we know everyone.

Guess one of us will not be going into work.

Do you think one of the in-home daycare workers would be willing to babysit her at your house? It would cost you more but at least you know she is in good hands.

OP here.

I've been wondering about something similar. The executive order loosens restrictions on "family and friend child care providers" so now they can watch up to 5 unrelated children in the provider's home. Can a small in-home daycare technically close down, but continue to operate on that basis?

Yes, I was thinking that an in home with an assistant could split into two little groups of say, 3-4 kids --one at the provider's home and one at the assistant's home, by age group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shine more light on what they mean by "Government personnel required to working during the emergency." Most government workers I know (local, state, or federal) are still working, but a lot are doing so from home. So does this apply to all of them or just those required to physically go into the office? This could have been made clearer.

I assume that means those required to go into the office.

I would hope it would include those required to work, but cannot realistically do so without a caregiver for their child. Got a 10 year at home? Sure, you can work. Got twin infants/toddlers? Yeah, telework isn't going to happen.

While I totally get what you're saying, my guess is it only includes people who can't work from home.

Frankly, it really sucks and I wish MD hadn't done it this way.

I wish they had made this clear- this isn't like shutdowns where workers were designated essential/non-essential. Even our agency's IT staff were sent home to telework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone shine more light on what they mean by "Government personnel required to working during the emergency." Most government workers I know (local, state, or federal) are still working, but a lot are doing so from home. So does this apply to all of them or just those required to physically go into the office? This could have been made clearer.

I assume that means those required to go into the office.

The order from Hogan has a full list of who is considered essential.

We know. The question is whether "government employees who are required to work" includes teleworkers or only those required to go into the office.

Realistically, there's no good way for them to know if you're going into the office or staying home. The process outlined on the state's webpage says they'll take a picture of your badge/work ID as evidence that you are an essential worker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused on this. Families are just supposed to drop their kids at random centers that will take them?

Yes, and this is craziness!
We are both essential but luckily one of us works evenings so we dont need daytime childcare, just twice a week for 3 hours each time in the afternoon. We are making do with a babysitter but for people who need childcare who are essential this is crazy.

We are both considered essential too and I really don't know what we are going to do. Not dropping my daughter somewhere random- we were comfortable were she was (in home daycare) because there were only a handful still coming and we know everyone.

Guess one of us will not be going into work.

Do you think one of the in-home daycare workers would be willing to babysit her at your house? It would cost you more but at least you know she is in good hands.

OP here.

I've been wondering about something similar. The executive order loosens restrictions on "family and friend child care providers" so now they can watch up to 5 unrelated children in the provider's home. Can a small in-home daycare technically close down, but continue to operate on that basis?

Yes, I was thinking that an in home with an assistant could split into two little groups of say, 3-4 kids --one at the provider's home and one at the assistant's home, by age group.

I wish I could find something specific on that. There's guidance related to the executive order that covers everything except for that point.