No aftercare in 64 of 131 PG elementary schools
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Anonymous
Well, that website explains why MCPS schools have quality aftercare programs, and PGCPS do not. |
Anonymous
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The rumor I've heard is that even though the county is promising that program currently in existance will be able to stay, they plan to bring in Springboard to those schools. What's the problem with this? Well, Springboard was brought in on one RFP written for four schools and the selection process did NOT involve parents in the affected communities. The school system is doing some grand deal with Springboard (which nobody really knows much about) and handing them schools rather then doing new RFPs with parent involvment...Sounds shady to me, especially since the money funding these programs comes from parents, not the school budget.
Again, in other counties the local community selects the program because THEY are paying and the are the consumer. See MoCo FAQs sheet on their process.... Before & After School Child Care Community Use of Public Facilities Where can I obtain information about becoming a before and after school shared space licensed child care provider in a school? Before and after school providers are selected by the school community using a competitive application process. A request for applications for schools for which child care provider applications are being accepted are announced each fall in the Gazette Newspaper and on the Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) website: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cupf (under child care information). For general information on State regulations, contact the Maryland State Department of Education Child Care Licensing Administration (240-314-1400) or their website http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/child_care/licensing_branch Why did you switch to an application form instead of a proposal? As a result of feedback over the past few years from the selection committees, the proposal format is being replaced with a standardized PDF application form. Raters wanted more concise information in a standardized format and wanted to eliminate all attachments. To further streamline the process, completed application forms are posted at a secure, password protected website which will only be available to the designated raters, who will be provided the username and password after signing a non-disclosure statement. This greener approach will reduce hard copies of applications and evaluation materials. How are schools with shared space child care programs selected to participate in a competitive selection process? Schools with shared space child care programs for the longest length of time were ranked. Each year approximately 20% of the shared space sites are selected for re-consideration. Who selects the before and after school shared space child care provider? Selection of the child care provider lies with the school community who, as the beneficiary and/or consumer, is in the best position to choose the vendor that meets the local schools’ needs. A selection committee, which is representative of the community, reviews all the applications received and interviews the highest rated providers before making their decision. How is the selection committee formed? Selection committee members are appointed by the principal or his/her designee. The principals or their designee is asked to form a committee that represents the school administration (example - principal or assistant-principal, building services manager, and teachers), PTA president or PTA members, parents who use or may use or previously used these services, or others who the principal feels can provide value to the process. CUPF recommends that no more than 20% (or one individual for committees of 4 or fewer members) of the committee represent parents of children using the services of the current provider. Each committee member is expected to attend all meetings and sign a nondisclosure statement certifying confidentiality, objectivity and absence of a financial interest in any of the applicant organizations. Is there a limit on how many applications a child care provider may submit? No, there is no limit on the number of applications a child care provider can submit. However, each provider should recognize their limitations, if any, and how those limitations may affect their ability to provide quality services. Once a provider is selected by the school, how long is it until the next reconsideration process? Once a school community has made a selection, the provider will receive a one-year lease for the designated school site with a maximum of four annual renewals. Can more than one before and after school provider be licensed for the same school simultaneously? No, only one vendor is selected as the licensed before and after school provider in shared space. In addition to adhering to the outcome of the competitive bid process, it supports sustainability of the selected provider. This provision does not apply to MCPS or HHS vendors serving a different age population. What is the difference between shared, exclusive and integrated space? • Shared space is where the child care provider sets up their program before and after the school’s K-12 educational program. Very limited storage is provided. Enrollment is only open for students of the school. • Exclusive space is generally classrooms or other areas within an open or closed school retained under MCPS’s Department of Facilities Management. Enrollment is open to the public and may include infants and toddlers. • Integrated space may be one or more rooms attached to an operating school which is owned and operated through Montgomery County Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Division. HHS also owns and operates modular buildings on and off MCPS premises, space in closed schools and other non-school buildings. Enrollment is open to the public and may include infants and toddlers. Why is there a rebid process? The Interagency Coordinating Board (ICB) passed a resolution in 2007 requiring competitive reconsideration of before and after school shared space child care placements every five years to address a variety of concerns brought to its attention related to: • Limited choices as the same before and after school child care providers continue year after year in the same school site. Prior to the change, some vendors have been operating in the same sites for up to 20 years. • Complaints from small and newly established child care providers about limited opportunity to start or expand their operations. • Parents and principals wanted a choice. What are the goals of the re-consideration? The reconsideration process: • Reaffirms the importance of equal and fair access to opportunities for use of County public space. • Creates opportunities for new providers. • Supports quality services, competitive pricing, and an enhanced level of responsiveness to schools and parents. The overwhelming response from most schools that have participated is positive and felt that the process helped them to select a responsive, affordable and quality provider. What is the role of the ICB and CUPF? The ICB, whose membership includes the Superintendant of Schools, President of the Board of Education, principals and citizen representatives nominated by the Board of Education, along with the County Council Staff Director, Executive Branch Chief Administrative Officer, member of the M-NCPPC Board, President of Montgomery College and other citizen representatives sets policies which are implemented by CUPF staff. CUPF staff manages the process by creating various forms and instructions for the process, posting of the advertisement in the newspaper in addition to sharing this information with other County and State offices, and providing logistic assistance to the committees. CUPF staff is present at all interviews to facilitate compliance with the process and, if requested, at all committee meetings. Who is responsible for completing background checks and to make sure the provider is in compliance with County and State regulations? The State licensing staff has the responsibility to ensure that the selected provider meets State mandated regulations, which includes passing FBI Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) background and fingerprinting checks. What if the selected provider does not deliver on the services outlined in their proposal or the community is not satisfied? At any time CUPF will listen and do what is possible to address issues or problems. However, it should be noted that CUPF is not the “employer” of the provider, nor can CUPF assess compliance with County or State child care regulations. Should the school community request reconsideration in advance of the scheduled rebid process, CUPF will work with the school principal to resolve the problem first before rebidding the site. What if someone has a complaint about the selection process or wishes to “appeal?” Any concern or appeal request must be in writing and submitted to the Director of CUPF. Specifics as to the basis of the concern must be in writing. After investigating the complaint, the Director of CUPF will make a final decision. In cases of serious deviation of the established selection process, the Director will request that the process be repeated with a new committee. Why are no other users required to rebid? • Child care is the only non-MCPS entity granted priority placement as established by Maryland State Law, § 7-109. Use of school property for other than school purposes - Priority for day care program, which includes the following provision: (1) Shall give priority to nonprofit day care programs for use of public school facilities before and after school hours. This privilege was administratively extended to for-profit providers by the ICB as well. No other category of user is awarded this status. • Child care providers are the only category of community users selected by MCPS Parent-Community committees in a competitive process. ICB Resolution 86-7 designated CUPF as the primary conduit through which before and after-school shared space providers are placed. • Expanded Scheduling Options: Approved child care providers are in schools during times unavailable to other users such as snow days when administrative offices are open and schools are closed or professional days. • Early Notice of Scheduling: Before and after school shared space licensed child care providers are informed during the spring (typically April) about their school year placement. • Monthly Payment Plans: Before and after school shared space licensed child care providers can pay in monthly installments for their yearly child care school permits. • Direct Access to Client Population: Because before and after school shared space licensed child care providers serve the children attending the school they serve, they have direct access to their potential clients and can minimize costs related to business advertising. They also avoid barriers to participation such as transportation to the facility after the school day is over. • Dedicated CUPF Staff Support: An MCPS employee, on loan to CUPF provides full time attention to the placement of before and after school child care programs. In addition to facilitating the selection process, this position processes the annual placements, and is available for conflict resolution and consultation on an on-going basis. • ICB Child Care Advisory Committee: This work group comprised of before and after school child care providers, meet quarterly with CUPF staff to discuss issues. The ICB is updated on issues at each board meeting. This is the only advisory committee created by the ICB that actively meets and reports findings on an on-going, year-around basis. • Exclusive rights to provide licensed before and after school child care services: To support sustainability, only one vendor is selected, through CUPF’s rebid process, to provide licensed child care to the students of the school. What if a child is injured - who is liable? Montgomery County Government requires all licensed child care providers to carry insurance coverage with a minimum liability amount of $300,000 with an aggregate amount of $300,000. If a child is injured during the custodial time of the licensed child care provider, and it is due to their negligence, that child care provider is held liable. Can Child(ren) attend licensed before and after school child care programs licensed in shared space in a school for which they are not enrolled? No. The purpose or mission behind the before and after school shared space licensed child care program is to provide parents with quality structured programming after school hours; and a safe and secure place for their children without the need to drive or bus them. The partnership, between the school and the child care provider, is based on an understanding that only that school’s student population may attend that program. This practice ensures that space is available for the students enrolled in the school site. What happens when a school is closed for renovation? If the home school is under renovation or modernization, the selected before and after school child care program will automatically move with the school to the temporary location and have that space licensed by the State. When the renovation or modernization is completed, the child care will return to the home school. If there is no or insufficient space for the child care program at the holding school, CUPF will work with the child care provider to find a temporary location which can accommodate their needs. Continuation of services in a temporary placement site is subject to the competitive selection process. |
Anonymous
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Our local Bethesda Elem. has no before/aftercare on site, period.
Kids from the school can try to get into one of the area's pre-school or daycare centers that offer aftercare--school buses will drop off those kids. |
Anonymous
Are you for real? Look, if it were available, I'd pay for it. |
Anonymous
But if a group of parents wanted to bring an aftercare into your local elementary school, would it be allowed? The problem we are having in our PG County schools is that they aren't allowing us to bring anyone in. At all. Either you have the County provided aftercare (if you have 45 kids) or you can't have anything. |
Anonymous
| That's simply bad. Cannot imagine what can parents do if both are working. This is so impractical. |