Bar-T Announcements:

Combined Locations for Full-Days of Fun at Bar-T Kids Club: 

On days when MCPS is closed, but Bar-T is open, we will open for care from 7:00am – 6:30pm at the below locations. 

Combining Centers for the 2022-2023 School Year

  • Bannockburn & Somerset (@ Somerset ES)
  • Bells Mill & Potomac  (@ Bells Mill ES)
  • Clopper Mill & Matsunaga (@ Matsunaga ES)
  • Darnestown & Travilah (@ Travilah ES)
  • Diamond & Thurgood Marshall (@ Thurgood Marshall ES)
  • Fields Road & Lakewood (@ Lakewood ES)
  • Germantown & McNair (@ McNair ES)
  • Goshen & Laytonsville (@ Laytonsville ES through Winter Break, @ Goshen ES for rest of the year)
  • Great Seneca Creek & McAuliffe (@ Great Seneca ES)
  • Stedwick & Watkins Mill (@ Watkins Mill ES)
  • Mill Creek & Whetstone (@ Whetstone ES)
  • Sally Ride & Woodfield (@ Sally Ride ES)

Centers not Combining for the 2022-2023 School Year

These centers will be open at their usual school location for care from 7:00am – 6:30pm on full days. 

  • Belmont
  • Burning Tree
  • College Gardens
  • Kensington Parkwood
  • MAC
  • Poolesville
  • Rachel Carson
  • Ritchie Park
  • Rock Creek Forest
  • Rock Creek Valley
  • Wood Acres

May 10, 2021: School Year Registration for 2021-2022 is Open!

Dear Bar-T Families,
Kids Club registration for the 2021-2022 school year is now open online at www.bar-t.com. The whole team at Bar-T is excited for schools to return to 5 day instruction next year, allowing us to operate our Kids Club program as we have in previous years.
 We will be back operating fully at each Bar-T school and we can’t wait to see our friends again.

As a reminder, here are a few updates to our program that we want to make sure you’re aware of:

  • School Year registration has been completely overhauled and should be much easier to use. You can now register entirely on your mobile device, make changes to your plan online, and print a statement whenever you like. If you still run into issues help@bar-t.com is always here, but these changes should make being a Bar-T customer much easier.
  • The start time for each day is now 7am. We looked at our data and there were only a handful of families that arrived before then. Rent in MCPS space is one of our biggest expenses so beginning at 7 is one of the changes we’ve needed to make in order to get back on our feet. We hope this isn’t too much of an inconvenience.
  • We’ve changed the billing date from the first of the month to the 15th. This makes a bit more sense than having to pay a full month in advance and hopefully it gives a bit more flexibility on your end.
  • Need-based discounts and subsidy assistance is available. In the past, Bar-T has offered reduced rates at certain schools that are either Title 1 or have a high Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs) rate. We’ve realized that this system still leaves behind many families that could use a little extra help. In its place, we’ve decided to reduce the cost for anyone that qualifies for Free and Reduced Meals by 20%. If you qualify for this discount, or would like help applying for child care subsidies, please register online and email vouchers@bar-t.com.
  • Pre-K registration is open. Registration for underway for our Pre-K programs at Belmont ES, Matsunaga ES, and Poolesville Baptist Church. These programs are wonderful at preparing children for Kindergarten and we’re so excited to welcome some of our littlest Bar-T friends back. Apply now at www.bar-t.com.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any feedback, suggestions on ways we could make Bar-T even better, or just to say hello.
Best,
Joe
Joe Richardson
CEO, Bar-T

April 20, 2021: Summer Camp Registration & Summer Equity Program

The Summer Fun Is Starting Right Away at the Ranch!

School’s out on Wednesday, June 16th & Bar-T is kicking off the summer of 2021 with a Thursday and Friday mini-session at the Ranch.

Let Bar-T help you get the kids up and out in the fresh air with all the fun of the Ranch (6530 Olney Laytonsville Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20882), squeezed into two days. Campers will enjoy:
  • Swimming & Splash Pad
  • Crafts
  • Sports & Games
  • Camp Friends
  • Music and Dance
  • All of Bar-T’s COVID safety protocols in place
  • Best of all … Not a single Chromebook in sight!
  • The cost for the two day mini-session is $150 per child
  • Camp will be held at the Ranch with morning drop-off between 8:45 am – 9:00 am and afternoon pick up between 3:30 pm – 3:45 pm
  • Unfortunately, transportation and extended care are not available for these two days

The Summer fun continues with all of our Bar-T Camps starting Monday, June 21st!

Registration is open online at Registration.Bar-T.com

—-

SUMMER EQUITY PROGRAM UPDATE

We are currently working on securing funding for our Equity Program to extend through this summer! We anticipate that we’ll be able to offer summer camp as a support to children attending summer school as well as full day camp on weeks when kids are not in summer school.

Families who are currently attending, or are eligible to attend, Bar-T through an Equity Scholarship (Equity Hub) will be eligible for this summer program.
If you would like your child to attend this program, if it’s available, please complete this application and we’ll reach out to you when we can confirm the details.
Questions about the Equity Scholarship Program or child care subsidies? Email us at vouchers@bar-t.com.

February 22nd: School Year Programs Update

PROGRAM UPDATE – FEBRUARY 22, 2021 – ACTION NEEDED! SURVEY BELOW!

Dear Bar-T Families,

We need your help! We have been working diligently to prepare a safe transition to child care as students begin to return to in-person learning. Although there are still some details that need to be worked out, we would like to share with you some important information about our programs and ask you to complete the survey at the end of this email.

CURRENT PROGRAMS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MARCH 5th

Distance Learning Hubs and Equity Hubs will continue to operate as scheduled through Friday, March 5th. We were notified on Friday afternoon that child care programs are not permitted to operate in school buildings during the week of March 8th to allow the schools time for final set up and preparation.

Note: Bar-T Poolesville, located at the Poolesville Baptist Church, will remain open as scheduled through March 12th.

NEW PROGRAMS STARTING MARCH 15th

When children begin to return to in-person learning on March 15th, the programs that Bar-T offers will change to meet the needs of the new schedules. Before we get into the three different plans, here are some key points that apply to all programs:

  • Families who are currently enrolled in Distance Learning Hubs/Equity Hubs will receive priority enrollment. Bar-T staff members will be confirming your plan selection in person over the next week. Currently enrolled families will not need to register again.
  • Because of continued cohort requirements and health & safety measures, we are only able to offer these programs as full time plans.
  • If your child is currently attending an Equity Hub or receiving vouchers/scholarships, they will continue to receive it.

The guidance that we received on Friday confirmed that we will be able to run before and after care, including full days on Wednesdays, as of March 15th. We’re asking you to read through the following child care options and complete the survey indicating the plan that would best meet your family’s needs.

  • BEFORE & AFTER CARE (All students in Title I Schools, K-3rd in Focus Schools, K – 2nd in all other schools)
    On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, Bar-T will provide before and after care from 7:30am until 6pm. On Wednesdays, when children are not attending in-person classes, Bar-T will be open for the full day from 7:30am until 6pm. The cost of this program is $190/week.
  • BEFORE AND AFTER CARE & FULL DAY CARE FOR A/B WEEKS (4th & 5th in Focus Schools, 3rd – 5th in all other schools)
    On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays on weeks when your child is attending in-person classes, Bar-T will provide before and after care from 7:30am until 6pm. On Wednesdays and weeks when children are not attending in-person classes, Bar-T will be open for the full day from 7:30am until 6pm. The cost of this program is $240/week.
  • FULL TIME DISTANCE LEARNING SUPPORT (Students who are staying in virtual learning full time)
    For families who are not returning to in-person learning, Bar-T is hoping to be able to provide full day distance learning programs from 8:30am – 5:30pm. The cost of this program is $295/week.

TAKE ACTION!

STEP 1: COMPLETE SURVEY

We need your feedback to help us determine interest and needs within each of our Bar-T school communities. Please click on the link below to fill out a quick survey (it will take less than 2 minutes) and share your family’s plans and needs for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year.

Please note: This survey will help Bar-T coordinate with school administrators to best serve each of our communities. However, certain things remain beyond our control and Bar-T may not be able to offer all of the programs or options that we ask about in this survey. Programs will be confirmed & communicated by March 1st.

STEP 2: COMPLETE REGISTRATION (OPENING 2/26/21)

Over the next week we will be collecting survey responses, meeting with school administration to confirm available space, and getting our enrollment website updated. We anticipate having registration open as early as February 26th. Registration links will be sent out directly to families who complete the survey.

Finally, for those currently enrolled in Distance learning, your final invoice will be adjusted to reflect an end date of 3/5/2021 (3/12 for Poolesville). If you are on auto-bill, your credit card will be charged the updated invoice total. Once we receive updated registration information, we’ll create new weekly invoices with dates of service beginning on 3/15/2021.

Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate through this changing situation. We are looking forward to continuing to serve our Bar-T communities and we are excited to reconnect with many of you over the coming weeks.

Best wishes and please stay safe & healthy!

Sincerely,

Joe Richardson

CEO, Bar-T

Friday, February 19th: Weather Alert

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19th – WEATHER ALERT
Montgomery County: Due to inclement weather, MCPS has closed school buildings and all Bar-T programs will be closed.
Frederick County: FCPS has moved to all virtual learning today. MAC will open at 10am.

Thursday, February 18th: Weather Alert

Thursday, February 18th: Bar-T Closed

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18th
BAR-T IS CLOSED
Due to inclement weather, all Bar-T programs will be closed.

Thursday, February 11th: Weather Alert

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11th – BAR-T WEATHER ALERT

Due to the inclement weather in our area:

  • Montgomery County: All programs in (Early Childhood & Distance Learning Hubs) will open at 11:30am. If MCPS changes our opening status, we will send out a notice as soon as possible.
  • Frederick County: MAC will open on time at 8:30am.

Tuesday, February 2nd: Bar-T Delayed Opening

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND – BAR-T DELAYED OPENING
Due to the inclement weather in our area:
  • Montgomery County: All programs in (Early Childhood & Distance Learning Hubs) will open at 11:30am. If MCPS changes our opening status, we will send out a notice as soon as possible.
  • Frederick County: MAC will open at 10am. We will reevaluate our opening status and will send a message at 7am if there is going to be a change to our schedule.

Monday, February 1st: UPDATE! Bar-T is Closed Today

UPDATE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1st: ALL BAR-T PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED

Due to the inclement weather, MCPS has cancelled child care in buildings and FCPS has closed schools and offices as well. All Bar-T programs are closed today.

February 1, 2021: Bar-T Delayed Opening

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1st – BAR-T DELAYED OPENING
Due to the inclement weather in our area:
  • Montgomery County: All programs in (Early Childhood & Distance Learning Hubs) will open at 11:30am. If MCPS changes our opening status, we will send out a notice as soon as possible.
  • Frederick County: We are evaluating our opening status and will send a message at 7am if there is going to be a change to our schedule.

December 18, 2020: Bar-T will open on time!

All Bar-T programs will open on time on Friday, December 18th. Please allow extra time and be cautious on your way to the program as roads and sidewalks may refreeze overnight.

December 17, 2020: UPDATE! Bar-T is closed today!

In our visiting of the schools this morning, many of them are not currently in a position where we feel safe having staff or children on-site. Bar-T will be closed today, Thursday, December 17th.

December 17, 2020: UPDATE! Bar-T Delayed Opening – Reevaluating at 10am

We have been out and monitoring the snow removal process. Our building services crews are hard at work clearing the parking lots and sidewalks, but many of them are not clear yet. We will continue to monitor the situation and notify families at 10am if we are able to open for afternoon classes. Please do not bring your children to Bar-T until you receive another update.

December 17, 2020: Bar-T Delayed Opening

Due to inclement weather, MCPS has delayed opening for child care on Thursday, December 17th. All Bar-T programs (including MAC and Poolesville) are planning to open at 10:00am. MCPS and the Bar-T team will continue to monitor the weather conditions in the morning and make a final determination by 8:30am.

December 16, 2020: Bar-T Closing at Noon Today!

Bar-T Closing at Noon Today!

Due to incoming inclement weather, all Bar-T programs will be closing at 12pm today. In order to ensure that our staff get home safely, please pick up your child(ren) by noon.

October 7, 2020: Montgomery County School Age Subsidy Program

Dear Bar-T Families,
We’re reaching out to you this afternoon to tell you about a program that Montgomery County Council just opened to provide financial assistance for Distance Learning Hubs.
This week, the Department of Health and Human Services rolled out the School-Age Subsidy Program to provide financial assistance for families who are eligible, or already receive, child care subsidies.
To be eligible for this School-Age Subsidy Program, a child must
  • live in the County,
  • be enrolled in MCPS, and
  • actively attend a full-day child care program (such as a Bar-T Distance Learning Hub).
In addition, their families must have
  • income levels at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level, and
  • applied for state and local child care subsidies.
This program is in addition to existing subsidies (Working Parents Assistance and Maryland Childcare Scholarship) and will cover the cost of attending a Distance Learning Hub through the end of January.
We understand that there are many of you whom this program does not affect, but there’s a strong chance that you know someone who could benefit from this assistance.
As this is time-sensitive, we encourage you to apply today (see below) and/or forward this information on to someone you know.
Best,
The Bar-T Team
HOW TO APPLY:
Step 1: Apply for Montgomery County School Age Subsidy Program at https://forms.montgomerycountymd.gov/f/SchoolAgeChildCare.
Additional information about the application process is available here.
Step 2: Complete the Bar-T application (https://forms.gle/e8CtLn7P5P2E2NUs7) and begin taking your child’s temperature daily (and recording it).
Step 3: When you are approved for the Montgomery County School Age Subsidy Program, forward your confirmation to rrichardson@bar-t.com.
Step 4: You will receive an email with details about when your child can begin attending and other important information.

September 4, 2020: Distance Learning Hub Update

Dear Bar-T Families,
We’re reaching out this afternoon to give you an update about the Distance Learning Hubs at Bar-T. Our programs at Mountainside After School Club (MAC) and Poolesville (located at Poolesville Baptist Church) opened this week and have had a great start to the school year. All of the children are engaging in their virtual learning classes through school and then getting the social-emotional benefits of play and activity with their friends!
We have a lot of information for you regarding opening up the rest of our Distance Learning Hubs, located in MCPS buildings, on September 14th!
  • We will be opening on Monday, September 14th!
  • While we have been given the go ahead to open, the schools are still confirming the classrooms that will be available to us.
  • We expect to have access at virtually all of our locations, so our ability to open a cohort at each school will depend on the number of children that sign up for the program.
  • There needs to be 10 children enrolled in a cohort to be able to open it. The maximum number of children in the cohort is 13, so the cohorts will have 10-13 children.
  • Cohorts will be finalized next week! If you have not yet enrolled in a program, please register as soon as possible so we can finalize the group.
  • You may not be able to sign up on Sunday and begin on Monday as the majority of our cohorts will be finalized by then. We need to have you complete a health pre-screening for your child(ren) and we need time to ensure that there is space and adequate staffing in the cohort you wish to join.
  • Financial assistance is available through Maryland Child Care Scholarship Program and Working Parents Assistance vouchers. Please email us at help@bar-t.com if you have question about enrolling using these programs.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions! We look forward to seeing you soon!
Best,
Joe
Joe Richardson
CEO, Bar-T

HEALTH & SAFETY FORMS:

Please complete the required health and safety forms and bring them with you on your first day:

August 10, 2020: Registration for Distance Learning Hubs is Open!

August 10, 2020: Registration for Distance Learning Hubs is Open!

Bar-T Families and Friends,

This is the email I’ve been waiting all summer to send. Today we met with MCPS and have been given the “go ahead” to run our Distance Learning Hubs in MCPS schools. This is very exciting news and we can’t wait to get started. We don’t yet know how many classrooms we will have, or what our total capacity will be, but I’m confident we will be able to take anyone that wishes to use Bar-T for their child’s distance learning solution this fall.

 

It’s important to know, from the outset, that MCPS has informed us that we will not be able to begin on August 31st. They have been incredible partners in finding a solution for child care, but we are only a piece of a larger puzzle in their operations. Given that there will be large-scale material distribution during the first weeks of school, it’s just not possible for anyone else to safely utilize the space. MCPS has given us the tentative date of September 14th as the first day we could open, but we are hopeful to move that date forward as details are ironed out.

 

As we understand that you are anxious to secure care for your child(ren) this fall, registration will begin tomorrow August 11th at 9am.

 

Thank you for your continued support and patience as we navigate this process. We’re excited to be getting our programs up and running for you this Fall.

 

Best,

Joe
Joe Richardson
CEO, Bar-T

Program Highlights:

  • Opening Date:
    • Mountainside After School Club (MAC) and Poolesville (located at the Poolesville Baptist Church) will open on August 31st.
    • MCPS School Buildings: We have been given an anticipated opening date of Monday, September 14th. We are hopeful that in our work with MCPS, that date can be moved forward, but we are certain we will not be allowed in MCPS space until September 8th at the earliest.
  • Ages: Bar-T will be open for children in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
  • Cohort/Class Sizes: Cohorts will be composed of 13 children and 2 staff members who do not commingle with other group. If you would like to form your own cohort of 13 students, please reach out to us.
  • Hours: Bar-T will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. At this point we are only offering full time care, though we may offer part time options down the road if we have sufficient space and can do it safely.
  • Tuition: the cost of attending our Distance Learning Hubs will be $1275/month ($290/week). Financial assistance is available through Maryland Child Care Scholarship Program and Working Parents Assistance vouchers.
  • Registration Process: Registration will be opening on Tuesday, August 11th at 9:00am. Priority will be given to families that have used Bar-T over the past year, or who had enrolled in our Kids Club for the 20-21 school year.
    • Bar-T Families: Priority will be given to any order placed between Tuesday at 9am and Friday at 5pm. After Friday at 5pm, we will begin processing orders of non-Bar-T families that have registered.
    • If you’re new to Bar-T: You may register on our website beginning at 9:00am on Tuesday, August 11th. Orders will be processed after Friday at 5pm in the order in which they were received.
  • Registration Confirmation: While we are confident we will be able to take everyone that needs care, MCPS has noted that not every space may be available from the outset. Priority enrollment will be given to Bar-T families, and we will confirm your spot, cohort, and start date as soon as we have that information from MCPS. In the event we are unable to provide care at your preferred school, we may reach out to offer a spot at another nearby location or add you to our waitlist as we secure more classrooms.
  • Billing: After enrolling, you will only be billed the $100 registration fee. Distance Learning (through 1/29/2021) will be billed monthly on the 15th of each month according to the schedule below. The 8/15/2020 invoice will not be billed until we’ve received confirmation from MCPS on the official start date and have confirmed your child(ren)’s spot in a program. The first invoice will be pro-rated based on the confirmed start date.
8/15 Invoice: 8/31/2020 – 9/29/2020
9/15 Invoice: 9/30/2020 – 10/29/2020
10/15 Invoice: 10/30/2020 – 11/30/2020
11/15 Invoice: 12/1/2020 – 12/31/2020
12/15 Invoice: 1/1/2021 – 1/29/2021

July 31, 2020: A Message to Mountainside After School Club (MAC) and Frederick County Families

 

July 31, 2020
A Message to Mountainside After School Club (MAC) and Frederick County Families:
Mountainside Afterschool Club (MAC) will be open this year with enhanced health, safety, and cleaning measures to provide care for your children and support for distance learning. Registration for MAC is now open and we’ve put everything, from hours and tuition to a daily schedule, on our website in order to allow families enough time to make an informed decision.
Families who are currently enrolled in MAC will receive priority registration for the first week. New families will be able to submit their order online, but we will only process registration for MAC families up until Friday, August 7th at 9am.
We understand that you may have many more questions. Please feel free to reach out and we will do our best to have someone get to your question as soon as possible.
Finally, I’d like to thank each of you who have supported BarT both over the years and through this closure. We’re excited to be getting our programs up and running again. We’re going to keep your kids safe and we’re going to give them a great experience. We can’t wait.
Best,
Joe
Joe Richardson
CEO, BarT
MAC Program Highlights:
All of the important information is on our website, but here are some highlights that will answer a few key questions you may have:
  • Ages: MAC will be open for children in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
  • Hours: MAC will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. While children may attend any times/days that you need, we are only offering full-time care options.
  • Tuition: Full-time care (8:30am – 5:30pm, Monday through Friday) at MAC will be billed monthly at $1275/month (less than $300/week). Please note that BarT accepts Maryland Child Care Scholarship Program and Working Parents Assistance vouchers.
  • Registration: Registration is now open online at http://registration.bart.com.
  • MAC Families: Families who are currently enrolled in BarT programs will receive priority registration for the first week. New families will be able to submit their order online, but we will only process registration for MAC families up until Friday, August 7th at 9am.
  • New Families: New families will be able to submit an order online when registration opens, but those orders will not be processed during the first week. Our team will begin processing registration on a first-come, first-serve basis and notify families as soon as their order is processed.

July 30, 2020: School Year Update

School Year Update: July 30, 2020

Bar-T Families and Friends,
We understand that the uncertainty about school schedules in the Fall is a source of stress and anxiety right now for many of our families. We are hoping that we can offer some peace of mind as the situation continues to evolve. Bar-T will be open with enhanced health, safety, and cleaning measures to provide care for your children and support for distance learning. Bar-T will be operating our Kids Club programs as “Distance Learning Hubs” beginning on August 31st. There are a number of differences between the upcoming school year and our normal operations. Registration is coming soon and we’ve put everything, from hours and tuition to a daily schedule, on our website in order to allow families enough time to make an informed decision.
We understand that you may have many more questions. Please feel free to reach out and we will do our best to have someone get to your question as soon as possible.
Finally, I’d like to thank each of you who have supported Bar-T both over the years and through this closure. We’re excited to be getting our programs up and running again. We’re going to keep your kids safe and we’re going to give them a great experience. We can’t wait.
Best,
Joe
Joe Richardson
CEO, Bar-T
——————–
Distance Learning Hubs?! What will Bar-T programs look like this year?
Joe sat down with Mark Orens, Director of Operations, and created a video to fill you in with all of the details about how our programs will run, and how we will keep children safe, this school year.

Program Highlights:
All of the important information is on our website, but here are some highlights that will answer a few key questions you may have:
Registration Opens Soon…
Pre-Register Today!
We are waiting on some details and guidance from MCPS and will open registration as soon as we can. That said, as we prepare to open Distance Learning Hubs, we’re trying to obtain enough space to meet the needs of our communities. If you intend on registering your child(ren) for full-time care, we ask that you please complete this form so we can plan accordingly.

July 27, 2020: Registration Temporarily Paused

School Year Update: July 27, 2020

Registration for Bar-T School Year Programs is temporarily paused as we finalize details for this upcoming school year.

July 23, 2020: Bar-T School Year Programs Update

School Year Update: July 23, 2020

Dear Bar-T Families,

I want to give you some insight into what the coming school year may look like at Bar-T. While we are still waiting for a few pieces to fall into place with MCPS, we believe that we will be able to operate our Kids Club programs as “Distance Learning Hubs” beginning on August 31st.

The idea behind these “Hubs” is that children will be dropped-off at Bar-T in the mornings so parents are able to go to work during the school day. Bar-T will take care of all distance learning, homework, snack, outside time, and clubs. We envision our programs having cohorts, of 13 children with 2 staff members to ensure quality programming and proper social distancing. We’ll be rolling out our specific safety guidelines and procedures once the plans become official, but I can assure you that we’ve learned a lot from successfully running summer camp and will continue to follow CDC and other local officials guidelines for ensuring a healthy and safe environment.

We are hopeful that we will be able to utilize space in MCPS schools themselves, as that would certainly be most convenient for the majority of our families and staff members. Being in the school buildings would also allow us to expand enrollment as the alternate locations may not be have enough licensed space for multiple cohorts. We have been working with MCPS and developing procedures that we hope they will accept, but we are relatively certain that we won’t get any official notification from them until early August. We have already begun looking to secure alternate locations in the event that we are unable to operate in school buildings. Whether in the school or at a nearby location, we look forward to opening on August 31st.

Our team is working hard to finalize the hours, pricing, and all of the information we need to make an informed decision as soon as we receive word from MCPS that we will be operate in the buildings. In the meantime, Bar-T will not be charging anyone on August 1st. Everyone will have the option to review, change, or withdraw from their plan once we know what the final school year schedules are from MCPS and FCPS.

While we won’t have official answers until early August, we’ve been working with the Superintendent’s office and are optimistic we’ll be able to provide care during the school day. We are looking forward to supporting you and your kids in the Fall.

We will update this page and send out email alerts with new information as it becomes available. If you are not a current Bar-T family, and/or would like to be added to our mailing list, please click the button below.

 

May 28, 2020: Summer Camp Update

Dear Summer Camp Families,

 

The moment we have been preparing for has finally come. Yesterday Governor Hogan announced that youth day camps are permitted to open with strict guidelines regulating their operation. I am happy to tell you that Bar-T will be working towards opening as soon as we are able.

 

There are A LOT of details that need to be sorted over the next few days and weeks, but we felt it was important to get a message out quickly since I’m sure many of you have questions. Next week we will be sending out a detailed plan for summer camp including information on our health and safety plan, modifications to camp, and much more.

 

What I can tell you is this. We aren’t going to charge anyone for weeks of camp they don’t want or can’t use. We understand that while we are excited to return to camp, this is a personal decision that every family has to make. Bar-T will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our children, but we realize that not everyone is equally comfortable with reopening.

 

Lastly, I want you to know that we’ve been preparing for this for weeks. We’ve attended every worthwhile zoom meeting, webinar, or teleconference we could find to develop the plans and procedures we’re going to use to keep every child in our care safe. The American Camp Association has done great work in providing resources and guidance to camps throughout this closure. I’m confident that we can deliver a Bar-T summer to every one of our campers, even if it looks a little different than last year.

 

Thank you for your patience through all of this. Please be on the lookout for that summer camp information next week.

 

Sincerely,

 

Joe

 

May 8, 2020: School Year Programs Update

Update: Friday, May 8th

 

Dear Bar-T Families,

 

I’m reaching out today because we’ve been getting some questions about Summer Camp that we want to address. First, like many of you, we can’t wait for camp and are counting down the days until it starts again! Given school closures through the end of the year and the status of COVID-19 as we get closer to camp, there are a lot of unknown factors that we are working with. While the following information may change, here is where we stand as of today.

 

  • We will be ready to open camp as soon as we are allowed. Our ability to open will largely be dictated by what we are told by the State of Maryland, County Officials, and MCPS. Though we haven’t gotten much guidance, we are anticipating opening at some, and hopefully all, of our locations at some point this summer.
  • We will be following all guidelines outlined by state and local officials to ensure the safety and continued health of everyone at Bar-T.
  • Once we have more details about what changes we will need to implement, we’ll provide everyone the opportunity to add, drop, or change any weeks of camp as you see fit. No one will be charged for any week of camp they either cannot, or chose not to attend.
  • At this point, we will not be automatically charging you on June 1st. Once camp plans are finalized and you are given the chance to make changes to your plan, we’ll communicate the date of the first invoice.
  • Registration for summer camps will remain open if you would like to enroll.

 

I wish we had more concrete information at this point, but figured it would be worthwhile to bring everyone up to date with the information we have about summer. One thing I can say with certainty is that we can’t wait to see your kids again. Seeing all those happy faces playing, dancing, and being together again is what keeps us all pushing forward.

 

Please let us know if you have any questions and we can’t wait to see you all again.

 

Best,

 

Joe

March 27, 2020: Bar-T School Year Programs Update

Update: March 27, 2020 @ 11:30AM

Dear Bar-T Families,

In light of the announcement that school closures have been extended for another four weeks, I’m reaching out to give you some details on how that will affect Bar-T programs moving forward. As this is a fluid situation, and a lot of our planning gets changed as new information is released, I’d like to focus on the current situation with schools being closed until April 24th. We know it is certainly a possibility that the school closures will be extended beyond this date and we will have more information for you if that decision is announced.

First and foremost, no one will be charged for the April billing cycle. There was a lot of internal discussion as to whether it would be reasonable to charge 50% in order to maintain operating expenses and to continue paying our staff. In the end, we didn’t feel good about charging anything when we know a lot of families are struggling and that it’s unlikely that we will actually be able to provide care. The invoices sent on March 1st were our final invoices that will be sent until schools open again. If you’ve already paid your April or May invoices, we will refund you once our office reopens. There is nothing you need to do regarding these changes, we will simply adjust your account in the coming weeks.

Many of you have reached out asking how our Bar-T staff are doing and I’m happy to report that, besides a frightening uptick in junk food consumption, everyone is in good spirits. We have assured them that every staff member will receive full pay for their regularly scheduled April paychecks, regardless of if we go back to work or not.

At this point we are doing everything we can to keep Bar-T running for as long as possible. We are confident that we will be able to return to work at some point in the coming months and our top priority is making sure our staff are here for your kids when this is all over. To that end, we have reached out for any loans, grants, or lines of credit that we can possibly find.

Now this part makes me uncomfortable, but I’m going to ask for help. If your financial situation hasn’t changed, and you are able to continue paying your monthly bill (or a portion of it), it would be immensely helpful in keeping Bar-T running. I assure you that every cent collected will go towards paying the staff that work directly with your children. Please know that we completely understand that this unprecedented situation is impacting each of us differently and that this is a substantial ask from us.

If you are able and would like to contribute, just reply to this email with what you would like to donate. We will take care of everything from there, but we will not be charging anyone that doesn’t respond. For those of you who have already emailed me and offered to stay on auto pay, you don’t need to take further action. It goes without saying, but I can’t tell you how grateful we are for our community and how much your generosity means to all of us. Regardless of your ability to donate, please know that Bar-T is here for you and we want to know if there is anything we can do to help.

Finally, I wanted to mention two additional things we are doing to try to support our community:

  • Governor Hogan and MSDE have set up an initiative within Maryland’s LOCATE Child Care 24/7 program for essential personnel. This dedicated hotline was created to pair childcare providers up with the medical and emergency service workers that need care for their children. We have reached out and offered our services to them and are working to get Mountainside up and running as an emergency childcare location, with our other sites to follow. I’m hopeful we can accomplish this within the next few days and I encourage any of our families who fall into this category to apply for this program.
  • We’re putting together a list of Bar-T staff that are willing to babysit for Bar-T families. We’re taking all quarantine and social distancing recommendations very seriously, but we are concerned that there may be children left at home without adequate supervision and feel that this might help. It’s entirely voluntary for our staff to be listed and we have asked that they only work for one family to limit any potential health issues. Beyond that, they are independent contractors and Bar-T is simply putting them in touch with families in need. I’m sure our lawyers will have some agreement everyone has to sign or something, but it’s a resource if you need it. We should have this up and running early next week and will be sending an email to you as soon as we can.

Finally, I want to thank everyone that has reached out with so many kind words. Hundreds of people have emailed asking what they can do to help. I’ve been doing my best sharing these messages with our staff and I can say that it’s had a profound effect on everyone. These have been difficult and stressful weeks, but reading all the positive messages and words of support that you’ve sent have shown us all how we’re all going to get through this together.

Thank you for lifting us up.

With gratitude,

Joe

Joe Richardson
CEO, Bar-T
jrichardson@bar-t.com
301-674-7608

 

March 25, 2020: School Year Programs Update

Update: March 25, 2020 @ 11:45AM

Bar-T Families,

This morning, Governor Hogan held a press conference regarding the state’s efforts to curb the number of cases of COVID-19 in Maryland.

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has determined that schools, and school buildings, will remain closed through April 24th.

We will follow up with more information within the next few days, but we will remain closed until we are told otherwise.

Be safe,

Joe

March 17, 2020: School Year Programs Update

Update: March 17, 2020 @ 7pm

Bar-T Families,

I’m emailing to inform you about a call that we received this evening at 6:30pm. We were informed that the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has determined that school-based childcare providers, including Bar-T, are no longer allowed to operate during this school closure. As we follow MSDE guidelines in all of our programs, Bar-T will not open tomorrow as previously planned.

We will follow up with more information within the next day or two, but we will be closed until we are told otherwise.

Be safe,

Joe

March 16, 2020: Bar-T School Year Programs Update

Update: March 16, 2020 @ 2pm

Bar-T Families,

I’d like to give some clarification on Bar-T’s decision to open and provide childcare given what we know of the importance of social distancing. Obviously taking your child to a school or childcare facility is less safe than simply keeping them home, for the child, your family, and our community at large. Nonetheless, we feel obligated to open in order to support our emergency service workers, medical professionals, and the families that truly do not have the ability to keep their children home.

Please, if you have the ability to keep your child at home do not send them to Bar-T. The more people that attend, the harder it is to keep safe. With that being said, I am reiterating our offer of the 50% credit for these next two weeks. If you have already responded to this, you do not need to send another email. If you have not yet responded:

  • If you plan on using Bar-T over these next two weeks, you don’t need to do anything. We will be open at select locations and you do not need to take any action, as our normal billing will cover this. You just won’t receive a credit in May.
  • If you are not planning on having your child(ren) attend our program and would like your account to be credited in May, please respond to this email and I will make sure that our account team issues that credit to you.
  • If you would like to join the families that have so charitably offered to use their credit to support either other families that are struggling, or Bar-T’s efforts to fully pay all our staff, please respond to this email so I can continue to brag about how incredible our community is.

Governor Hogan has published enhanced guidelines for child care operators, which we are fully adopting.

As you might have seen, the CDC also just announced that gatherings of more than 50 people should be suspended. While childcare is technically exempt from this, I still feel that it’s a best practice we should adopt. In order for us to manage how many children will be attending, please indicate by clicking the appropriate button below. If your child will not be attending, no need to click anything.

I’m also going to do something we don’t normally do, but I believe in the interest of full transparency when it comes to communicating about Bar-T. This morning we sent to all our employees about how we are approaching the coming days. It has details regarding programming, cleaning procedures, and other policies that you may find informative. If you would like to read the letter that we sent to our employees, please click here.

We have also included a list of Frequently Asked Questions, and responses, in the section below. These should answer most questions you may have, but please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you would like additional clarification.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone that has reached out over the past few days. Many of you have offered support, some have asked for clarification, others have given advice on how to make Bar-T safer. I have tried to reply to as many people as possible. I know this is a tremendously difficult, and less than ideal, situation and we are trying to make the right choice one step at a time. We’re doing our best to try and serve the community that depends on us, while also keeping our children, staff, and community safe. It’s a fluid situation and we’re constantly updating how we navigate through it. Thank you for all the support.

Best,

Joe and The Bar-T Team

March 13, 2020: School Year Programs Update

Update: March 13, 2020 – 4:00pm

Bar-T Families,

In our email last night, we made a commitment to continue to communicate with our families as the situation regarding COVID-19 unfolds. That said, we have an important update to share with you today.

This morning we received a call from ICB/CUPF with clarity regarding the status of childcare during the school closings over the next two weeks. Like us, they understand that many families are dependent on school and childcare programs to provide care for their children during the workday. After deep-cleaning the schools on Monday & Tuesday, CUPF has asked if we could be open as of Wednesday, March 18th.

Beginning Wednesday, March 18th, Bar-T will be open for full days at select locations. As our programs will be combining, please see the list at the end of this letter for details on which location your child should attend.

Although we are now able to provide care for our families, we still want to extend the 50% credit for any families that either can’t, or choose not to, use Bar-T during this time. I want to clarify how this would work:

  • If you plan on using Bar-T over these next two weeks, you don’t need to do anything. We will be open at select locations and you do not need to take any action, as our normal billing will cover this. You just won’t receive a credit in May.
  • If you are not planning on having your child(ren) attend our program and would like your account to be credited in May, please respond to this email and I will make sure that our account team issues that credit to you.

I also would like to mention something that I hadn’t expected. After we sent out our email last night, I got an outpouring of positive feedback that frankly left me speechless. I cannot express how much it meant personally to me and to the entire Bar-T team.

There were a few people that mentioned that even though Bar-T wouldn’t be open, they would like to donate their 50% credit either to other families that need help or to helping keep the staff paid through this crisis. I was floored to hear this and am constantly amazed by the generosity of our community. If you would like to donate your credit as well, please email me and I guarantee that it will get to the people that need it most.

I realize that this situation is fluid and ever-changing. I truly appreciate your understanding, flexibility, and support as we navigate through it. We will continue to communicate new information with you as it comes.

Best,

Joe and The Bar-T Team

March 12, 2020: School Year Programs Update (8pm)

Update: March 12, 2020 – 8:00pm

Bar-T Families,

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Governor Hogan announced that all public schools will be closed from March 16th – 27th. We will be open tomorrow, March 13th, but our current understanding is that we are not allowed to operate during the school closure.

Bar-T will continue to fully pay all hourly and salaried employees through this break. We have worked hard over the years to provide our staff with a career that can support a family and we want to make sure they have the resources necessary during this tough time to care for them.  We want to do all we can so the same faces are there to provide consistent care to your children when this closure is over.

While our policy states that no refunds are given in the event of a closure that is beyond our control, we recognize this is a unique situation. We have decided to offer a 50% credit for these next two weeks, which will be applied to your May invoice. We are also suspending any billing or auto-pay for April, until we are sure we will be back in school by then.

If you or your family has an exceptional need, whether from loss of income, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances, please reach out and we will help however we can.

We realize this is an evolving situation and we will continue to communicate as we find out more information.

Thank you,

Joe and The Bar-T Team

March 12, 2020: School Year Programs Update (5pm)

Update: March 12, 2020 – 5:00pm

We have been informed by the State of Maryland that all schools will be closed from Monday, March 16th through Friday, March 27th. As of this time, we are awaiting further instruction from the county as to whether or not we will be able to be open during this time.

We will be sending out a more detailed email shortly.

March 6, 2020: Keeping Programs Safe

Update: March 6, 2020

Coronavirus Preparedness

When it comes to anything related to public health in our schools, we first look to MCPS for guidance. In order to avoid any confusion, we don’t want the kids to have one set of rules at school and another at Bar-T. MCPS has published a helpful website with relevant information and frequently asked questions that I would encourage everyone to read.

How Bar-T is Preparing to Keep Coronavirus Away from Our Community

We’ve given the information from MCPS to our Directors and are taking these additional steps as well:

  • We are cleaning all hard surfaces like tables, door handles, legos, game pieces, and anything else we can get our (gloved) hands on.
  • We are ensuring that all children are thoroughly washing their hands, including fingertips at regular intervals.
  • We are asking all staff and children to use a fist or elbow bump in place of the usual Bar-T high five, hug, or handshake.

How You Can Help Keep Our Community Healthy

There are a few things that you can do at home to help us continue to have a healthy and happy Bar-T.

  • If your child has a fever, vomiting, severe coughing, diarrhea or other signs of illness, please keep them at home. The CDC recommends that children remain home for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever or signs of a fever (i.e., chills, feeling warm, flushed appearance). Note: The 24 hour period begins once they are fever-free without any medication in their system. If they’re taking Tylenol, but are fever free, they need to stay home.
  • If you yourself are not feeling well, please do not enter the school. Please call your Director and they will come out to the car to pick up and sign your child in.
  • We are asking you NOT to use the iPad to sign your child in each day. One of our staff members will take care of signing them in and out of Tadpoles, in order to avoid many fingers all touching the same surface.
  • Please continue to stress the importance of hand washing and keeping our hands to ourselves. We are already doing this at school, but reinforcement at home is very helpful.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will send out any updates as they come.