The latest announcement in a series of confusing directives for Maryland child care centers came late yesterday when the State Superintendent ordered all child care centers other than those serving essential workers to shut down after today, Friday March 27, 2020.
Just 4 days ago, the State issued Interpretive Guidance of its March 19, 2010 Executive Order clarifying that child care centers are considered essential businesses not required to close pursuant to the March 19, 2020 Executive Order.
Then, on March 25, 2020, a new Executive Order authorized (but did not require) the State Superintendent of Schools to order child care centers, including family child care homes, closed. No order to that effect was put into place at the time, leaving child center centers (and the families they serve) to believe that centers could continue to operate under normal conditions
Late yesterday, a “Clarification of the March 25, 2020 Child Care Message “ was issued, stating that all child care providers are ordered to close by the end of Friday, March 27, except those centers registered with the State to serve essential personnel. Essential personnel include:
- Providers of health, long-term, or acute inpatient care, emergency medical or pharmacy services;
- Public health employees;
- Law enforcement personnel;
- Correctional services employees;
- Firefighters and other first responders;
- Government employees and personnel of other institutions required to work during state of emergency or catastrophic health emergency;
- Certain employees and reps of insurance carriers;
- National Guard called to activity duty;
- Staff and providers of child care or education services;
- Food distributors and suppliers;
- Transportation and delivery services personnel;
- Gasoline service state operators and automobile repair mechanics;
- Critical infrastructure employees;
- Any other persons designated by the State Superintendent as an essential person
Centers can apply to register as a State funded child care provider for essential personnel only by meeting certain requirements.