Daycare Closing for 3 weeks

[Anonymous]

My daycare typically closes for 2 weeks due to Christmas/NYE and it is written in our service agreement as a paid holiday and I've accepted it for years. Now due to COVID they notified us this week that they'll be closing for an additional week. I think that this is unreasonable and would likely lead to additional community spread because many families will need to find people outside of their household to help with childcare since this closing was unplanned. Unfortunately, that is what I will have to do.
Does anyone know of any specific guidance regarding payments during daycare closures due to COVID? Earlier in the pandemic, Maryland made it illegal up until June, but I'm not sure where things stand now.

[Anonymous]

My guess is that it’s so that daycare workers can see their families for Christmas and have enough time to quarantine afterward before daycare reopens.

[Anonymous]

You shouldn’t have to pay for that week.

[Anonymous]

Check your contract.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daycare typically closes for 2 weeks due to Christmas/NYE and it is written in our service agreement as a paid holiday and I've accepted it for years. Now due to COVID they notified us this week that they'll be closing for an additional week. I think that this is unreasonable and would likely lead to additional community spread because many families will need to find people outside of their household to help with childcare since this closing was unplanned. Unfortunately, that is what I will have to do.
Does anyone know of any specific guidance regarding payments during daycare closures due to COVID? Earlier in the pandemic, Maryland made it illegal up until June, but I'm not sure where things stand now.

Can you link to where MD made it illegal?

There’s nothing wrong for them closing or taking a longer break. Since no children are sick and it is not the providers that are sick then it is not a community spread risk.

The only time you were not allowed to look for different childcare/ daycare is if your daycare closes because of exposure and you’re in quarantine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My guess is that it’s so that daycare workers can see their families for Christmas and have enough time to quarantine afterward before daycare reopens.

That is my assumption as well. You shouldn't have to pay for this extra week of closure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My guess is that it’s so that daycare workers can see their families for Christmas and have enough time to quarantine afterward before daycare reopens.

That is my assumption as well. You shouldn't have to pay for this extra week of closure.

OP here. Yes, that perspective makes sense. But I agree that I shouldn't have to pay for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daycare typically closes for 2 weeks due to Christmas/NYE and it is written in our service agreement as a paid holiday and I've accepted it for years. Now due to COVID they notified us this week that they'll be closing for an additional week. I think that this is unreasonable and would likely lead to additional community spread because many families will need to find people outside of their household to help with childcare since this closing was unplanned. Unfortunately, that is what I will have to do.
Does anyone know of any specific guidance regarding payments during daycare closures due to COVID? Earlier in the pandemic, Maryland made it illegal up until June, but I'm not sure where things stand now.

Can you link to where MD made it illegal?

There’s nothing wrong for them closing or taking a longer break. Since no children are sick and it is not the providers that are sick then it is not a community spread risk.

The only time you were not allowed to look for different childcare/ daycare is if your daycare closes because of exposure and you’re in quarantine.

I will look for references (on my phone right now), but essentially at the start of the pandemic, childcare was only available to first responders. Facilities actually had to apply to operate, families of first responders provided proof, and the state subsidized it. So because the state was paying facilities directly, they could not charge families.

Unfortunately, many facilities that were closed continued to charge families, which was illegal so some places framed it as charging a percentage to save your spot or support teachers that were laid off, even though the state gave out operational grants. Mine continued to charge for 2 weeks and when they reopened I asked them to credit my account for earlier payments, which they did. But I dont think they made this know to everyone and definitely not to the families that chose not to return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daycare typically closes for 2 weeks due to Christmas/NYE and it is written in our service agreement as a paid holiday and I've accepted it for years. Now due to COVID they notified us this week that they'll be closing for an additional week. I think that this is unreasonable and would likely lead to additional community spread because many families will need to find people outside of their household to help with childcare since this closing was unplanned. Unfortunately, that is what I will have to do.
Does anyone know of any specific guidance regarding payments during daycare closures due to COVID? Earlier in the pandemic, Maryland made it illegal up until June, but I'm not sure where things stand now.

Can you link to where MD made it illegal?

There’s nothing wrong for them closing or taking a longer break. Since no children are sick and it is not the providers that are sick then it is not a community spread risk.

The only time you were not allowed to look for different childcare/ daycare is if your daycare closes because of exposure and you’re in quarantine.

I will look for references (on my phone right now), but essentially at the start of the pandemic, childcare was only available to first responders. Facilities actually had to apply to operate, families of first responders provided proof, and the state subsidized it. So because the state was paying facilities directly, they could not charge families.

Unfortunately, many facilities that were closed continued to charge families, which was illegal so some places framed it as charging a percentage to save your spot or support teachers that were laid off, even though the state gave out operational grants. Mine continued to charge for 2 weeks and when they reopened I asked them to credit my account for earlier payments, which they did. But I dont think they made this know to everyone and definitely not to the families that chose not to return.

I remember the discussions but I do not recall if it was illegal. I will also look and update if I find anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daycare typically closes for 2 weeks due to Christmas/NYE and it is written in our service agreement as a paid holiday and I've accepted it for years. Now due to COVID they notified us this week that they'll be closing for an additional week. I think that this is unreasonable and would likely lead to additional community spread because many families will need to find people outside of their household to help with childcare since this closing was unplanned. Unfortunately, that is what I will have to do.
Does anyone know of any specific guidance regarding payments during daycare closures due to COVID? Earlier in the pandemic, Maryland made it illegal up until June, but I'm not sure where things stand now.

They are closing for an additional week as CYA since families dont/havent been listenening and havent stopped combining households. It is to protect staff and children/families. For that extra week you either need to take leave or let them know you have had an outside person in your house and will need to present a negative COVID test to return, at least 5 days after the last exposure to this individual. If that individual is masked and you all are masked, then you should ask for directions from your daycare and they will ask MDOH. You can ask them to reimburse you for that week since it isnt written in the contract as a payable holiday and then take leave unpaid/paid.

We are all doing it OP. Mine is only extra 3 days but between the already planned holiday leave and normal closures, we still will need to use leave. Luckily it is before 12/31 so I will be using COVID 2/3 pay for those days. Pre-determined holiday closures not related to COVID will come out of my sick/vac bank as usual.

This should not come as a surprise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My guess is that it’s so that daycare workers can see their families for Christmas and have enough time to quarantine afterward before daycare reopens.

Your guess is incorrect. Daycare staff are being instructed, like EVERYONE ELSE IN MARYLAND PER MDOH, to not combine households. They already see their household each day when they return from work. If you are seeing people outside of your household, you need to quarantine per MDOH regulations and get a COVID test.

[Anonymous]

You sound like a peach. Suck it up OP, it's safer for everyone if people isolate for two weeks after seeing family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound like a peach. Suck it up OP, it's safer for everyone if people isolate for two weeks after seeing family.

That's funny that you think they're going to isolate. It's just going to turn into 3 week visits. I know that's what one of my providers is doing.

But as another poster said, if they're shutting down like this, they shouldn't be able to demand payment for weeks that they're closed, beyond whatever closures were specified in their original contracts.

[Anonymous]

Then don't pay them.

[Anonymous]

Our daycare is also closing for three weeks. Their argument is that they didn't take summer vacation and are combing the holidays with an additional week of closure. I send two kids to this daycare so this means nearly $3K for me so its really quite painful to rationalize as I will need to hire additional help for one of these weeks. We've sent one of our kids to this daycare for almost 2 years so we are comfortable with our current arrangement but I am really starting to get frayed with them. This decision to close for three weeks was not made based on any discussion with parents. Plus we paid for them even when they were closed in the summer time. They decided to open when the government let them accept essential workers' kids (my husband is essential) but they operated half day so as to not have to accept "real" first responders' kids. We desperately needed care so we kept up with this. Then, later this year, our daycare asked for separate cleaning supplies - disinfecting wipes, hand washes, paper towels, hand towel PER KID. Keep in mind, one of my kids is not even 1. I asked them why I had to send separate hand washes for a 10 month old and got some ridiculous response around "safety". This is an in-home daycare with less than 10 kids, 3 of which are infants and one is the daycare owner's kid...not a center with multiple kids in each class.

Are a lot of people dealing with similar daycare issues? When does this become an even-playing field? I am really feeling like I need to manage my own expectations even when I am paying premium pricing for care.