COVID-19 Guidance, Resources and Updates
for Maryland Schools and Communities
Multiple state agencies are collaborating on and are committed to the health and safety of students and staff in the school setting. We are working collaboratively with the Governor's Office, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and all other relevant State agencies on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Maryland State Department of Education will remain vigilant in providing all information regarding the virus as it pertains to the health and safety of students and staff in our schools.
Guidance for Use of Cloth Face Coverings in Schools
Response to a Laboratory Confirmed Case of COVID-19 and Persons with COVID-19-like Illness in Schools
Click Here to learn more information on COVID-19.
Important Update:
September 1, 2020 State Board of Education Presentation on Student Engagement
Student Engagement Recommendations
Adopted by the State Board September 1, 2020
Invitation to provide comment/input:
New! Update on Child Care Capacity
October 1, 2020
Remarks by Karen B. Salmon, Ph.D.
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Thank you Governor and good afternoon. It’s great to be with you all today.
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Early in September, the Governor announced that Maryland had entered the initial phase of Stage 3, and the week prior, as a result of improved COVID-19 health metrics, we announced that every local school system in Maryland is authorized to begin reopening for in-person learning.
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Thankfully, our COVID-19 metrics in Maryland remain in a very positive position and we continue to encourage local school systems to bring students back safely for in-person instruction in light of those numbers.
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For the last six months, capacity limits have been in place for child care providers as a mitigation tool to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In working with the Maryland Department of Health, we have seen very few positive COVID cases in our child care facilities, likely due to the rigorous health and safety guidance implemented by the child care community from the beginning of the pandemic.
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I want to also thank the child care providers, teachers and staff for their dedicated service to our children and families. They are certainly heroes.
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When the capacity limit for child care programs was increased in June from 10 to 15 individuals per room, the state did not see a spike in cases within child care programs, even as more providers reopened their facilities.
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At this time, more than 82 percent of child care providers have reopened. However, with most school systems remaining in a period of virtual learning or in a hybrid model, we understand that the demand for available child care remains very high.
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Therefore, today I am announcing that child care providers are now able to return to the full teacher to child ratios and capacities for which they are licensed.
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Today’s announcement means that child care centers can now serve up to 20 three- and four-year olds in a room with a ratio of 1 teacher to 10 students and up to 30 school-age students with a ratio of 1 teacher to 15 students.
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Of course child care providers must continue to adhere to federal and state guidance on health and safety protocols, as they have successfully done to this point.
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Hopefully this action will assist in limiting the many unregulated and illegal child care operators that have sprung up in recent months such as “pandemic pods,” where there are no criminal background checks, no oversight, and parents cannot be sure that their children are in a safe environment.
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Licensed child care programs interested in reopening may contact their licensing specialist at MSDE and parents and guardians in need of child care may contact LOCATE: Child Care at (877) 261-0060, or through the
LOCATE webpage, which is available on MSDE's webpage.
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Reopened programs will receive a one-time grant of $800 for family child care providers and $1,600 for center-based child care providers. These grants will be available only through Oct. 31.
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MSDE is also providing $1,000 in start-up grants to eligible, new family home child care providers in an effort to bolster new small businesses.
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We have heard very clearly from many parents and providers who have written and called me, that we needed to return to licensed capacity to meet the needs of working families and prevent the closure of child care centers once it could be done safely.
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I am hopeful this announcement effectively complements local school system's efforts to bring students back into the classroom and provides working families with more access to safe child care and programs.