NBC4 By Tracee Wilkins – Some parents in Prince George’s County say the school system’s before and after child care program has fallen apart.

During the pandemic, Prince George’s County Public Schools fired its extended child care providers due to a lack of funding, and new vendors are struggling to get the necessary licenses to take over.

Some parents are still scrambling to find before and after care for their kids.

“It’s a little late now, because places are out of space,” parent Shayla Clark said.

Her kindergartner returned to in-person learning, but like many schools in the county, there’s no more before and after care there.

“I received an email from the school, at first, just letting us know that the program kind of fell through and didn’t get the licensing that they were promised, I guess,” she said.

PGCPS provided before and after care at its schools for years, and parents who used the services paid for it, but during the pandemic, the school system let those child care workers go. 

The more than 100 child care workers tried to appeal, but due to the school board’s dysfunction, it didn’t have an attorney to review the appeal.

In a statement, the school system said:

• PGCPS phased out the Before and After School Extended Learning Program in February 2021.
• The program was no longer self-sustaining and not a part of the school system or its budget.
• Child care is not state required nor part of the school system’s budget.

It went on to say it’s working to move vendor-operated childcare into the schools but that state licensing has been slowed by COVID-19.

The PGCPS website provides a color-coded spreadsheet showing how far along individual schools are in getting a license. More than half don’t have one yet.

“There is a lot that goes into preparation and  getting a license and then being approved by the state Department of Education,” said Christina Peusch, executive director of the Maryland State Child Care Association.

She says better planning could have prevented this.

“This needs to be a partnership and a way that we can communicate better so these things don’t happen,” Peusch said.

With so many day cares forced to close during the pandemic, Clark was lucky to find a spot for her son.

“It’s pretty hard for the parents,” she said. “We have to work, too, so, I mean, you should be able to help your parents out, basically.”

According to the Maryland State Child Care Association, almost 1,000 childcare providers were forced to permanently close in Maryland due to the pandemic, leading to less availability and higher prices for parents. 

via NBC4 News

OPINION

There should not even be contractors in this program at all. PGCPS took these jobs away from our own PGCPS Employees and now they are without work. This is a real mess. Perhaps labor unions are the key. However, what happens when the labor union is compromised such as in this situation? Dr. Monica Goldson is the most scandal-ridden politician CEO in PGCPS history. This is her soft underbelly. As a CEO for PGCPS, she was selected through public corruption and has never spoken publicly about public corruption sweeping quietly through the school system as a corrupt leader. She is also not responsive to parents needs and many are being blackballed within the system affecting parents, teachers and students due to retaliation.

Framing the choices as “independent contractors” versus “regular full-time employees,” limits options and dialogue about how different work arrangements can — and must — provide stability, protections, and income. “It’s time for PGCPS, regulators, policymakers, and the public to look at whether this ‘sharing economy’ is a win-win for everyone and, if not, come up with new solutions and restore these jobs ASAP.”

Read more >>> Police in DC, Prince George’s Co. team up against repeat carjacking PGCPS teens and others.

Read more >>>Prince George’s County father speaks out after PGCPS teenage son shoots, kills mother, brother

>>> PGCPS Student charged with manslaughter in fatal shooting of 16-year-old in Oxon Hill area, police say

>>> PGCPS Teenager killed in Greenbelt shooting identified

***