Anyone succeed in changing daycare COVID policies? How did you do it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Director as well here (DC). When the new guidance came out in June, we did away with most of our policies. No more sending kids home for runny noses, hallelujah! Unfortunately right now I have 2classrooms that I had no choice but to shut down because a staff person with allergies just tested positive as did one of her coworkers. She is actually quite ill. So I can’t open classrooms because we are already working with a skeleton crew despite large pay increases, bonuses and the Early Childhood Pay Equity Fund set to begin dispersing this fall. Hiring is brutal because everyone wants to work from home these days. Not sure what the answer is but believe me, directors are beyond over it. Many of us are contemplating leaving the field as well.

Do you refund tuition when you have to shutdown due to staffing reasons? I know that’s not listed as a legitimate closure in the enrollment contract my center has.

NP - The alternative is to reduce capacity and terminate families. We've considered closing our infant and toddler rooms which have the greatest staff requirements but realize this would impact a ton of families who are already struggling to find care.

Or raise tuition to either hire more staff or issue refunds for closures.

I wish this was an answer. Did you see the earlier post in this thread from the teacher who left to nanny share? She was making $18/hour at a center and is now making $33/hour. Even with a tuition increase, we couldn't come close to that. This is the reality of every Director right now and the crisis that nobody talks about. Behaviors are more challenging, parents less supportive, increased regulations, and current teachers are overworked and hanging on by a thread. Don't get me started on the lack of candidates in the talent pool - nobody is even APPLYING for daycare jobs these days.

Then programs should refund parents on the days they need to close due to staffing shortages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm at the end of my rope with our daycare's COVID restrictions and want to change them. They are out of step with public health risks, out of step with many other daycares in the area and -- most importantly, imo -- impractical and untenable for working parents. Particularly as the youngest kids now have a vaccine available, I want to encourage policy changes that allow dual working-parent families like mine to thrive or at least maintain adequate childcare unless a kid is actively, more-than-a-sniffle sick.

I don't want to intimidate the staff or the administrators, particularly the staff -- they work very hard and I value their care for my child greatly and have bonded with them personally. While I don't want to underplay the significant financial expense these quarantines/etc. are imposing, I also don't want to make it all about money. I would like to engage thoughtfully in a way that results in meaningful, permanent change.

If you've influenced changes at your daycare, how did you do it? What worked and what didn't? Did anyone contact the local health department or local government officials instead (or in addition to) the daycare? If so, please share how you engaged.

Location would also be helpful, as would sharing your daycare's current policy on COVID issues.

I'm not saying we should be having COVID chicken pox parties. But it's not fair (or frankly, good for gender equality or the economy) to maintain extreme policies in childcare centers while the rest of the world has moved on.

We contacted the local health department via email, spoke to daycare provider about communication, and forwarded that email to our daycare so our kid only had to stay home for 5 days versus 10 (she was under 5). Moco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Director as well here (DC). When the new guidance came out in June, we did away with most of our policies. No more sending kids home for runny noses, hallelujah! Unfortunately right now I have 2classrooms that I had no choice but to shut down because a staff person with allergies just tested positive as did one of her coworkers. She is actually quite ill. So I can’t open classrooms because we are already working with a skeleton crew despite large pay increases, bonuses and the Early Childhood Pay Equity Fund set to begin dispersing this fall. Hiring is brutal because everyone wants to work from home these days. Not sure what the answer is but believe me, directors are beyond over it. Many of us are contemplating leaving the field as well.

Do you refund tuition when you have to shutdown due to staffing reasons? I know that’s not listed as a legitimate closure in the enrollment contract my center has.

NP - The alternative is to reduce capacity and terminate families. We've considered closing our infant and toddler rooms which have the greatest staff requirements but realize this would impact a ton of families who are already struggling to find care.

Or raise tuition to either hire more staff or issue refunds for closures.

I wish this was an answer. Did you see the earlier post in this thread from the teacher who left to nanny share? She was making $18/hour at a center and is now making $33/hour. Even with a tuition increase, we couldn't come close to that. This is the reality of every Director right now and the crisis that nobody talks about. Behaviors are more challenging, parents less supportive, increased regulations, and current teachers are overworked and hanging on by a thread. Don't get me started on the lack of candidates in the talent pool - nobody is even APPLYING for daycare jobs these days.

Then programs should refund parents on the days they need to close due to staffing shortages.

They are not closing for staffing shortages, they are closing because children have had COVID exposure. This is part of what is causing the staffing shortage but not in terms of the center being short of staff - it's the actual industry that is short of candidates looking to work in the field. The only way to refund a family is not pay teachers and this would lead to more teachers leaving the field. Ultimately this leads to decreased availability and is why a few centers in our area have decreased capacity. All that to say, the new variant is supposed to be more challenging. We will be encouraging all families to get their children vaccinated and hoping to change policy soon. Please be kind and considerate to our teachers and those working in the field in the meantime. We are all tired and hoping the <5 vaccine will provide some relief for us all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Director as well here (DC). When the new guidance came out in June, we did away with most of our policies. No more sending kids home for runny noses, hallelujah! Unfortunately right now I have 2classrooms that I had no choice but to shut down because a staff person with allergies just tested positive as did one of her coworkers. She is actually quite ill. So I can’t open classrooms because we are already working with a skeleton crew despite large pay increases, bonuses and the Early Childhood Pay Equity Fund set to begin dispersing this fall. Hiring is brutal because everyone wants to work from home these days. Not sure what the answer is but believe me, directors are beyond over it. Many of us are contemplating leaving the field as well.

Do you refund tuition when you have to shutdown due to staffing reasons? I know that’s not listed as a legitimate closure in the enrollment contract my center has.

NP - The alternative is to reduce capacity and terminate families. We've considered closing our infant and toddler rooms which have the greatest staff requirements but realize this would impact a ton of families who are already struggling to find care.

Or raise tuition to either hire more staff or issue refunds for closures.

I wish this was an answer. Did you see the earlier post in this thread from the teacher who left to nanny share? She was making $18/hour at a center and is now making $33/hour. Even with a tuition increase, we couldn't come close to that. This is the reality of every Director right now and the crisis that nobody talks about. Behaviors are more challenging, parents less supportive, increased regulations, and current teachers are overworked and hanging on by a thread. Don't get me started on the lack of candidates in the talent pool - nobody is even APPLYING for daycare jobs these days.

Then programs should refund parents on the days they need to close due to staffing shortages.

They are not closing for staffing shortages, they are closing because children have had COVID exposure. This is part of what is causing the staffing shortage but not in terms of the center being short of staff - it's the actual industry that is short of candidates looking to work in the field. The only way to refund a family is not pay teachers and this would lead to more teachers leaving the field. Ultimately this leads to decreased availability and is why a few centers in our area have decreased capacity. All that to say, the new variant is supposed to be more challenging. We will be encouraging all families to get their children vaccinated and hoping to change policy soon. Please be kind and considerate to our teachers and those working in the field in the meantime. We are all tired and hoping the <5 vaccine will provide some relief for us all.

The pp was describing a situation where classrooms were shut down due to staffing issues, not quarantines.

What do you expect will be different with the vaccine? Kids already don’t get very sick from covid, and the vaccine doesn’t prevent infection/transmission.

You’re simply choosing to continue to screw over parents without an end in sight.

[Anonymous]

Though, programs should similarly refund parents when they they close down a classroom due to an exposure, since that’s a decision the program itself made. There are few cases where a program is actually required to close down a classroom. Child care regulations and most preschool/child care handbooks only talk about excluding children that are actually sick-- not kids that have simply been exposed to someone that was sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Though, programs should similarly refund parents when they they close down a classroom due to an exposure, since that’s a decision the program itself made. There are few cases where a program is actually required to close down a classroom. Child care regulations and most preschool/child care handbooks only talk about excluding children that are actually sick-- not kids that have simply been exposed to someone that was sick.

Not for kids under 2: 10 days is what the cdc says since they can’t mask on days 6-10 after exposure. Also, staff who are not boosted (and they’re not mandated to be) are not considered to be fully vaxxed and have to be out for 5 days after exposure. No staff=no kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Though, programs should similarly refund parents when they they close down a classroom due to an exposure, since that’s a decision the program itself made. There are few cases where a program is actually required to close down a classroom. Child care regulations and most preschool/child care handbooks only talk about excluding children that are actually sick-- not kids that have simply been exposed to someone that was sick.

Not for kids under 2: 10 days is what the cdc says since they can’t mask on days 6-10 after exposure. Also, staff who are not boosted (and they’re not mandated to be) are not considered to be fully vaxxed and have to be out for 5 days after exposure. No staff=no kids.

It’s still the program’s decision whether to apply those guidelines. They're not requirements.

[Anonymous]

The mods can delete my posts but I will never support a daycare center that stunts toddlers speech development by forcing them to wear ridiculous masks for a couple hours a day and keeps kids out of care when they don’t even have symptoms of being sick. We need a common sense solution in moco

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Though, programs should similarly refund parents when they they close down a classroom due to an exposure, since that’s a decision the program itself made. There are few cases where a program is actually required to close down a classroom. Child care regulations and most preschool/child care handbooks only talk about excluding children that are actually sick-- not kids that have simply been exposed to someone that was sick.

Not for kids under 2: 10 days is what the cdc says since they can’t mask on days 6-10 after exposure. Also, staff who are not boosted (and they’re not mandated to be) are not considered to be fully vaxxed and have to be out for 5 days after exposure. No staff=no kids.

It’s still the program’s decision whether to apply those guidelines. They're not requirements.

PREVENTION OF COVID-19
COVID-19 prevention strategies for Schools and Childcare Facilities are divided into 2 categories: Everyday prevention measures that should be kept in place during all COVID-19 Community Levels1 (including Low), and enhanced prevention measures that can be implemented during Medium or High COVID-19 Community Levels OR in response to facility and student-specific needs (e.g. during a facility outbreak or to maintain a safe in-person learning environment for disabled or immunocompromised students). These are summarized below for easy reference. For full details, see Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Educational Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12- childcare-guidance.html.
• Everyday prevention measures (regardless of COVID-19 Community Level): o COVID-19vaccination
o Stayinghomewhensick
o COVID-19diagnostictesting
o Isolation (for symptomatic or COVID-19 positive people) o Quarantine (for people exposed to COVID-19)
o Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
o Optimizing indoor ventilation and air quality
o Cleaning and disinfection

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Though, programs should similarly refund parents when they they close down a classroom due to an exposure, since that’s a decision the program itself made. There are few cases where a program is actually required to close down a classroom. Child care regulations and most preschool/child care handbooks only talk about excluding children that are actually sick-- not kids that have simply been exposed to someone that was sick.

Not for kids under 2: 10 days is what the cdc says since they can’t mask on days 6-10 after exposure. Also, staff who are not boosted (and they’re not mandated to be) are not considered to be fully vaxxed and have to be out for 5 days after exposure. No staff=no kids.

It’s still the program’s decision whether to apply those guidelines. They're not requirements.

PREVENTION OF COVID-19
COVID-19 prevention strategies for Schools and Childcare Facilities are divided into 2 categories: Everyday prevention measures that should be kept in place during all COVID-19 Community Levels1 (including Low), and enhanced prevention measures that can be implemented during Medium or High COVID-19 Community Levels OR in response to facility and student-specific needs (e.g. during a facility outbreak or to maintain a safe in-person learning environment for disabled or immunocompromised students). These are summarized below for easy reference. For full details, see Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Educational Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12- childcare-guidance.html.
• Everyday prevention measures (regardless of COVID-19 Community Level): o COVID-19vaccination
o Stayinghomewhensick
o COVID-19diagnostictesting
o Isolation (for symptomatic or COVID-19 positive people) o Quarantine (for people exposed to COVID-19)
o Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
o Optimizing indoor ventilation and air quality
o Cleaning and disinfection

I’m not sure what your point is. Who follows every recommendation from the CDC? Child care centers are under no obligation to quarantine other children in a room when there’s been a case. Quite likely the enrollment agreements they have with parents do not contain provisions allowing them to exclude healthy children from class. Catch-all clauses may cover cases where health departments have ordered them to do something, but such orders are rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The mods can delete my posts but I will never support a daycare center that stunts toddlers speech development by forcing them to wear ridiculous masks for a couple hours a day and keeps kids out of care when they don’t even have symptoms of being sick. We need a common sense solution in moco

There is no mask mandate in child care centers in MoCo. Nor is there a quarantine mandate. Child care centers are making these policies themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Though, programs should similarly refund parents when they they close down a classroom due to an exposure, since that’s a decision the program itself made. There are few cases where a program is actually required to close down a classroom. Child care regulations and most preschool/child care handbooks only talk about excluding children that are actually sick-- not kids that have simply been exposed to someone that was sick.

Not for kids under 2: 10 days is what the cdc says since they can’t mask on days 6-10 after exposure. Also, staff who are not boosted (and they’re not mandated to be) are not considered to be fully vaxxed and have to be out for 5 days after exposure. No staff=no kids.

It’s still the program’s decision whether to apply those guidelines. They're not requirements.

PREVENTION OF COVID-19
COVID-19 prevention strategies for Schools and Childcare Facilities are divided into 2 categories: Everyday prevention measures that should be kept in place during all COVID-19 Community Levels1 (including Low), and enhanced prevention measures that can be implemented during Medium or High COVID-19 Community Levels OR in response to facility and student-specific needs (e.g. during a facility outbreak or to maintain a safe in-person learning environment for disabled or immunocompromised students). These are summarized below for easy reference. For full details, see Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Educational Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12- childcare-guidance.html.
• Everyday prevention measures (regardless of COVID-19 Community Level): o COVID-19vaccination
o Stayinghomewhensick
o COVID-19diagnostictesting
o Isolation (for symptomatic or COVID-19 positive people) o Quarantine (for people exposed to COVID-19)
o Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
o Optimizing indoor ventilation and air quality
o Cleaning and disinfection

I’m not sure what your point is. Who follows every recommendation from the CDC? Child care centers are under no obligation to quarantine other children in a room when there’s been a case. Quite likely the enrollment agreements they have with parents do not contain provisions allowing them to exclude healthy children from class. Catch-all clauses may cover cases where health departments have ordered them to do something, but such orders are rare.

We still have to report cases to OSSE. And when we do, they ask for proof that we have communicated to parents, excluded close contacts, etc. So what is your point? I'm not willing to lose my license so your exposed kid can come to daycare. Complain to the right people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Though, programs should similarly refund parents when they they close down a classroom due to an exposure, since that’s a decision the program itself made. There are few cases where a program is actually required to close down a classroom. Child care regulations and most preschool/child care handbooks only talk about excluding children that are actually sick-- not kids that have simply been exposed to someone that was sick.

Not for kids under 2: 10 days is what the cdc says since they can’t mask on days 6-10 after exposure. Also, staff who are not boosted (and they’re not mandated to be) are not considered to be fully vaxxed and have to be out for 5 days after exposure. No staff=no kids.

It’s still the program’s decision whether to apply those guidelines. They're not requirements.

PREVENTION OF COVID-19
COVID-19 prevention strategies for Schools and Childcare Facilities are divided into 2 categories: Everyday prevention measures that should be kept in place during all COVID-19 Community Levels1 (including Low), and enhanced prevention measures that can be implemented during Medium or High COVID-19 Community Levels OR in response to facility and student-specific needs (e.g. during a facility outbreak or to maintain a safe in-person learning environment for disabled or immunocompromised students). These are summarized below for easy reference. For full details, see Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Educational Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12- childcare-guidance.html.
• Everyday prevention measures (regardless of COVID-19 Community Level): o COVID-19vaccination
o Stayinghomewhensick
o COVID-19diagnostictesting
o Isolation (for symptomatic or COVID-19 positive people) o Quarantine (for people exposed to COVID-19)
o Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
o Optimizing indoor ventilation and air quality
o Cleaning and disinfection

I’m not sure what your point is. Who follows every recommendation from the CDC? Child care centers are under no obligation to quarantine other children in a room when there’s been a case. Quite likely the enrollment agreements they have with parents do not contain provisions allowing them to exclude healthy children from class. Catch-all clauses may cover cases where health departments have ordered them to do something, but such orders are rare.

We still have to report cases to OSSE. And when we do, they ask for proof that we have communicated to parents, excluded close contacts, etc. So what is your point? I'm not willing to lose my license so your exposed kid can come to daycare. Complain to the right people.

Yes, you have to report cases to OSSE. But that, along with excluding kids who are actually covid positive, are really the only requirements. Excluding close contacts is a recommendation, not a requirement, when you look at their guidance document and return matrix. Even notifying close contacts appears to be a recommendation, not a requirement.

This is basically the same problem I ran into in Montgomery County. Providers were saying the State Department of Education and local health department required quarantines, which was strenuously denied when I talked to the state and county. In some cases the providers appeared to be honestly confused. in other cases it was fairly clear they knew they didn’t have to exclude contacts, but wanted to blame it on someone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Though, programs should similarly refund parents when they they close down a classroom due to an exposure, since that’s a decision the program itself made. There are few cases where a program is actually required to close down a classroom. Child care regulations and most preschool/child care handbooks only talk about excluding children that are actually sick-- not kids that have simply been exposed to someone that was sick.

Not for kids under 2: 10 days is what the cdc says since they can’t mask on days 6-10 after exposure. Also, staff who are not boosted (and they’re not mandated to be) are not considered to be fully vaxxed and have to be out for 5 days after exposure. No staff=no kids.

It’s still the program’s decision whether to apply those guidelines. They're not requirements.

PREVENTION OF COVID-19
COVID-19 prevention strategies for Schools and Childcare Facilities are divided into 2 categories: Everyday prevention measures that should be kept in place during all COVID-19 Community Levels1 (including Low), and enhanced prevention measures that can be implemented during Medium or High COVID-19 Community Levels OR in response to facility and student-specific needs (e.g. during a facility outbreak or to maintain a safe in-person learning environment for disabled or immunocompromised students). These are summarized below for easy reference. For full details, see Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Educational Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12- childcare-guidance.html.
• Everyday prevention measures (regardless of COVID-19 Community Level): o COVID-19vaccination
o Stayinghomewhensick
o COVID-19diagnostictesting
o Isolation (for symptomatic or COVID-19 positive people) o Quarantine (for people exposed to COVID-19)
o Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
o Optimizing indoor ventilation and air quality
o Cleaning and disinfection

I’m not sure what your point is. Who follows every recommendation from the CDC? Child care centers are under no obligation to quarantine other children in a room when there’s been a case. Quite likely the enrollment agreements they have with parents do not contain provisions allowing them to exclude healthy children from class. Catch-all clauses may cover cases where health departments have ordered them to do something, but such orders are rare.

We still have to report cases to OSSE. And when we do, they ask for proof that we have communicated to parents, excluded close contacts, etc. So what is your point? I'm not willing to lose my license so your exposed kid can come to daycare. Complain to the right people.

Yes, you have to report cases to OSSE. But that, along with excluding kids who are actually covid positive, are really the only requirements. Excluding close contacts is a recommendation, not a requirement, when you look at their guidance document and return matrix. Even notifying close contacts appears to be a recommendation, not a requirement.

This is basically the same problem I ran into in Montgomery County. Providers were saying the State Department of Education and local health department required quarantines, which was strenuously denied when I talked to the state and county. In some cases the providers appeared to be honestly confused. in other cases it was fairly clear they knew they didn’t have to exclude contacts, but wanted to blame it on someone else.

Nope. When I report cases, they follow up and ask me for proof of notification/isolation.
Also, my teaching staff and many parents would have a fit if I did not follow best-practice recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Ours finally announced no masks starting next week. At least one parent is upset, but “wearing” the masks is just theater when you’re talking about kids 5 and under who eat and nap together with no masks every single day.