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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Wait? So if you are teleworking but your offices are not open because they aren't slated to open in phase 1 or 2- then you can use daycares? My provider told us that we would need to provide a letter stating that our workplaces are open and/or that its self-evident that our employers were essential (paramedics, hospital staff, etc.).

We deferred until Sept opening since we don't qualify. Both of our jobs have us teleworking for at least another month. My husband has an auto immune disorder so he will be the last phase of employees back at his fed office. I have an officemate and therefore cant follow distancing guidelines nor will I wear a mask for 9 hours a day when I can easily work at home (tech office). [/quote]

That sounds like a policy the daycare created themselves. Even when the EPCC payments were happening for essential employees, I don't think they required letters like that.

Early on, it was somewhat unclear. The state said pretty quickly that teleworking essential employees could use the daycares at state expense.  But, there's certainly ambiguity in the definition of essential.  Feds are called out as essential if they have to work. But what does "required to work" mean? I'm required to work if I want to get paid- so am I an essential fed?  My guess is that they wouldn't be happy about it, but probably would have done along with it.

Now that the state payments have ended, that's moot anyway. Daycares are open to anyone whose business/workplace is operating, including teleworkers. Since there's no state payments, there are no special applications for parents. That's all left up to the providers.[/quote]

DP. Can you please show me where the state says who can use daycares in stages 1 and 2? My daycare said it was only people who work in places like hair salons, restaurants, etc. I would love to send my child back to daycare. We are both working from home and one is a fed, another a nonprofit worker. But our understanding was that we would not be able to use until stage 3. TIA![/quote]

The main thing I'd point to in your case is that federal agencies and employees *were* covered by the Governor's executive order.  Feds were arguably deemed essential personnel in the first executive order, and certainly are allowed to reopen under phase one/two (since they never had to close in the first place).

Though, I have since found a new FAQ that complicates matters.

The [url=https://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/system/files/filedepot/2/faqs_epcc_for_families.pdf]original essential employee FAQ[/url] had this to say:
[quote]
[b]Are parents that are Essential Personnel and working from home permitted to utilize child care?[/b]
The Governor’s Executive Order only defines Essential Persons. There are no additional restrictions at
this time. If parents/guardians are able, they are strongly urged to keep children at home as the first and
best option to protect them from the virus.
[/quote]

To me, that seemed to strongly imply that the Department wasn't making any distinction between teleworking and in-person working.

Since then, there's a [url=https://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/system/files/filedepot/3/faqs_parents_maryland_together_marylands_recovery_plan_for_child_care_final.5_20_2020.pdf]new FAQ[/url] which has this to say:

[quote]
[b]Are parents that are Essential Personnel or others allowed to access child care and working
from home permitted to utilize child care?[/b]
A: Since the closure of child care on March 27, 2020, and the subsequent opening of essential
personnel child care, currently, only essential personnel and employees of the businesses
opened by Governor as part of the Phase I Recovery, are permitted to access child care at this
time. If parents/guardians are able, they are strongly urged to keep children at home as the
first and best option to protect them from the virus.
[/quote]

It's only slight different, but different enough to give me pause.

Anyways, again, if I were arguing with my provider (and I probably wouldn't argue- I'd switch if they were being jerks), I'd point to two things:

1) [url=https://governor.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Child-Care-Access.pdf]Executive Order 20-03-25-01[/url] defines essential employees as including government employees required to work during the state of emergency.  I assume the fed in your family is required to work, at least if you to continue to collect a paycheck.  Most of us are on mandatory telework, as far as I can tell.

2) [url=https://governor.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Gatherings-EIGHTH-AMENDED-6.3.20.pdf]Executive Order 20-06-03-01[/url], paragraph V explicitly excludes federal agencies from closures, making them part of the phase one/two reopening.

[/quote]

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