Does the Montgomery County directive to close private schools apply to preschools?
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Anonymous
Anonymous
| Yes especially ones opening kindergarten classes?! |
Anonymous
| Good question. My very uneducated understanding is that (some?) preschools are "Approved Education Programs which would make them a nonpublic school. But they are also child care providers which are not being closed (at least not now). |
Anonymous
| No clue. Our center goes from infants through kindergarten and they just got licensed to offer 1st and 2nd grade too. |
Anonymous
| No daycares are subject to state regulation - licensing is done by MSDE and not the county. |
Anonymous
Oh thank god. We’re not subjected to Gayles and Elrich’s stupidity. |
Anonymous
So are preschools considered daycares as a technical matter? Do we think the guidance will be issued on this? Would love further information to back up this statement. I Expect a lot of preschools will be pressured to close given this directive regardless. |
Anonymous
You are right but wrong. Montgomery County held back daycares from moving on to phase 2 for much longer than the rest of the state. That means they do have some type of control over daycares. |
Anonymous
There was actually a huge controversy with that and MoCo tried to do that but the state told them they had to follow the state schedule. So MoCo ended up opening up daycares to everyone earlier than they wanted to. And they had to allow them to open for essential workers prior to that. They were never allowed to just shut them down. |
Anonymous
| so even the ones that just recently added Kindergarten classes are under MSDE?? hesitant to commit unless it'lll be open |
Anonymous
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Ours is saying preschools are considered licensed childcare providers (I’m assuming all are if they offer any before or after care beyond the 2-4 hr preschool window) and they will stay open regardless of what phase state is in or if schools close. They will only close if mandated by the county health dept.
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Anonymous
I guess that settles the debate of his preschool really daycare. (Kidding. Kidding.) I don’t think anyone really knows what is going on. |
Anonymous
That was a good one. 
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Anonymous
Technically I think nursery schools have to get a child care license even if they aren't a daycare, unless they are operated by a religious organization - they get an exception. K-12 private schools do not need a child care license. https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/non-public-education/regulation-map/maryland.html |
Anonymous
| I childcare centers are going to close. My guess is b/c MoCo and Maryland have been doing so much to help with grants and guidance to get childcare reopened and remain open. Of course if we go back to Phase 1, then they will close except for essential |