How to fight this new anti-childcare winter weather approach?

[Anonymous]

Well, it appears that Taylor and MCPS have managed to piss off yet another major constituency with this decision. You're on a roll, TT!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

[Anonymous]

Yes, many childcare providers actually want to open. We are paying a bunch of money for their services. If staffing or safety is an issue, they closed in the past and that’s fine. But if the building is open from 9-11 for admin, why should childcare be prohibited from operating - when it always had done so in the past, they have full staffing available, there is only rain, and we are paying for that service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Form response from Cat Malchodi, who I doubt believes what she was for Ed to write:

"Good afternoon,

On behalf of Dr. Taylor and the MCPS leadership team, thank you so much for sharing this concern about the availability of before school or morning childcare programs that utilize MCPS schools. We greatly appreciate the feedback from our staff and families. As a working mother who utilized these programs when my children were in elementary school for many years, I can certainly appreciate your frustration. We will certainly elevate this to the leaders who are involved in the decision making process and in our discussions with our community partners.

Inclement weather decisions are made with great care and always with safety at the center. This morning’s delay reflected a combination of factors: forecasts showing a meaningful risk of ice, the potential for hazardous road conditions across our large county, and the need to ensure that staff could travel safely to open our schools and offices. These decisions must account for the well-being of both employees and students. Although childcare is a Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) function, it still relies on MCPS staff to open and prepare buildings for use. Given all these considerations, delaying the opening of schools, including canceling before-school childcare, was the safest and most responsible choice.

We know today’s decision had a real impact on families, especially those who rely on morning childcare to support work and daily routines. We truly understand how disruptive these changes can be, and we weigh those impacts carefully each time. Our first responsibility, however, is ensuring the safety of students and staff.

Making decisions of this nature is difficult because weather forecasts are never guaranteed, and events may occur sooner or worse than anticipated. Again, we do not take these types of decisions lightly—they truly have everyone’s best interest at the forefront, especially as it relates to safety.

Thank you,
Cat"

MCPS cared about MCPS staff. What horrible people.

Cat you already wrote your message. No need for you to reply to comments.

I know it is your stock response to claim that only CO responds positively about MCPS, but I am not CO or Cat, and I think MCPS should care about their staff traveling in inclement weather. Just as I am happy that my employer cares about me traveling in inclement weather.

Most employers opened on time today but the staff that rely on beforecare couldn't make it on time, including MCPS high school teachers.

and you're saying that MCPS teachers should ignore the safety of the lowly maintenance workers?

DP. Well the maintenance workers were already out and opening up buildings at 9am, so either it wasn't unsafe for them to be out or MCPS still ignored their safety.

Our beforecare opens at 7:30am. Which is before 9am.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

also we seemed to have less of a problem keeping staff at before/aftercare. Covid changed all that. The 'before times' are gone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That is a perfectly reasonable decision a beforecare provider could make. (Although in the many many years when they were allowed to open on delayed opening days, I don't remember ever hearing about staffing issues like that coming up, FWIW.)

The issue is that MCPS is no longer letting beforecare providers make their own decisions. They need to butt out of things that are not their business. If the child care provider needs to close, they will ,close, but why should MCPS force every single beforecare provider to be claimed.

Beforecare in public school buildings is their business.

Why did they change the policy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, it appears that Taylor and MCPS have managed to piss off yet another major constituency with this decision. You're on a roll, TT!

But is anyone going to show up to register their displeasure? Are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

Thank you!

Our provider was ready to open. The notion that the child care staff could not make it is a blatant fabrication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

Thank you!

Our provider was ready to open. The notion that the child care staff could not make it is a blatant fabrication.

for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

Thank you!

Our provider was ready to open. The notion that the child care staff could not make it is a blatant fabrication.

for you.

Huh? Our provider announced they would open at 9am and then sent a message saying MCPS had prohibited them from opening.

Child care staffing is the child care provider's responsibility. It is not a reason for MCPS to prohibit providers from operating. The providers can announce they can't open at any time for any reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

also we seemed to have less of a problem keeping staff at before/aftercare. Covid changed all that. The 'before times' are gone.

I think in this case, the before times were 2023 when child care centers could make closure/delay decisions with more independence. Even literally yesterday, the published guidance for Code Yellow allowed for before care to be open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

also we seemed to have less of a problem keeping staff at before/aftercare. Covid changed all that. The 'before times' are gone.

I think in this case, the before times were 2023 when child care centers could make closure/delay decisions with more independence. Even literally yesterday, the published guidance for Code Yellow allowed for before care to be open.

+1. My kid started the first year back to in person schooling after COVID. I have no experience of pre-COVID beforecare, but our KAH site opened without issue until last year. It's possible they were operating with higher than legal ratios, but that's possible any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

also we seemed to have less of a problem keeping staff at before/aftercare. Covid changed all that. The 'before times' are gone.

I think in this case, the before times were 2023 when child care centers could make closure/delay decisions with more independence. Even literally yesterday, the published guidance for Code Yellow allowed for before care to be open.

+1. My kid started the first year back to in person schooling after COVID. I have no experience of pre-COVID beforecare, but our KAH site opened without issue until last year. It's possible they were operating with higher than legal ratios, but that's possible any day.

Same. We use BarT and they were allowed to open until last year. They opened in 2022 and 2023.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see "Morning childcare is canceled. All-day childcare programs will operate on a two hour delay."

Could it be the staff at morning only programs may have other jobs and their ability to report is hours/time based? I.e. someone who can only work till 9 am, in the event of a delay, it doesn't make sense for them to come in 2 hours late when they have another location to report to? Just curious

That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple pages back. But a lot of parents here seem to think that these workers are available all day long. Nobody can live on a salary of just a couple hours every morning so it stands to reason that many of these people have other jobs they must get to.

“It wasn’t a problem in the past!” I bet a lot of of these places operated with the wrong student to teacher ratios. But I think parents don’t care or see it as an issue that as long as their children were at before care.

also we seemed to have less of a problem keeping staff at before/aftercare. Covid changed all that. The 'before times' are gone.

I think in this case, the before times were 2023 when child care centers could make closure/delay decisions with more independence. Even literally yesterday, the published guidance for Code Yellow allowed for before care to be open.

+1. My kid started the first year back to in person schooling after COVID. I have no experience of pre-COVID beforecare, but our KAH site opened without issue until last year. It's possible they were operating with higher than legal ratios, but that's possible any day.

Same. We use BarT and they were allowed to open until last year. They opened in 2022 and 2023.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but even in 2024, before care could open with a 2-hr delay for Code Yellow, I think? It was just that MCPS had a string of 3 straight Code Red days, IIRC, when the roads were clear for 90% of the county.