Our mission and social justice branches are guiding every decision in our response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Watch the Community Meeting RecordingOn April 13, our Board and Executive Director hosted a Community Meeting to report on how we have responded to the COVID-19 crisis and provide an update on our financial situation now, and in the future.
At the meeting, our Executive Director announced the launch of the Survive + Thrive Fund, a community-supported fund that will help us hire and train new staff even while schools are closed, as well as provide a safety net while we wait for government aid to be approved. |
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Frequently Asked Questions About Our Operations During the COVID-19 Closure
Are teachers still being paid? Have any teachers been laid off? What are the long-term plans for supporting staff?
With a few exceptions to accommodate teachers’ individual needs, all of our Mentor, Apprentice, and Flex Teachers, as well as Admin Team Members are currently being paid at their same rates for the typical hours they would be working if schools were open. At this point, no teachers have been laid off or furloughed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Long-term, it is our plan to continue paying staff “as usual” for as long as possible. To do this we are applying for loans made available to small businesses through the CARES Act. We do not yet have a timeline for when money from these programs will be allocated to us. If schools end up being closed for a longer period of time (for example, through the summer months) we will likely need to adjust this according to what aid is available from the government.
Long-term, it is our plan to continue paying staff “as usual” for as long as possible. To do this we are applying for loans made available to small businesses through the CARES Act. We do not yet have a timeline for when money from these programs will be allocated to us. If schools end up being closed for a longer period of time (for example, through the summer months) we will likely need to adjust this according to what aid is available from the government.
Are families still required to pay tuition? Will tuition payments be required to “hold a spot” for my child?
According to our values around equity and inclusion, we have decided that we will not require tuition payments until we have a re-open date for our schools. When a date is determined, current families will be notified and asked to make a tuition payment based on a prorated amount for the month. It is our intention to be as flexible as possible to accommodate current families who are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis in making tuition payments when schools reopen.
When can we expect school to reopen? How is Apple Playschools approaching that decision?
At this point, we do not know when schools will reopen. We are currently following direction provided by the State of Michigan to keep our schools closed at least through the end of Governor Whitmer’s “Stay Home” order, including any extensions of that order. We are also conducting our business in the spirit of that order by limiting access to our buildings and delegating a minimal number of employees as “essential workers” to keep up building security and maintenance, as well as garden projects and pet care that are essential parts of our year-round curriculum.
We will make decisions about how and when to reopen in collaboration with county health officials, our state licensing consultant, and our professional networks (such as Child Care Network and the Early Childhood Directors Association. We also have family members in the Apple Playschools community with professional expertise in public health and policy development who will advise us on how to implement changes we expect to cleaning/sanitizing practices, classroom size and layout, health screening procedures, etc.
At this point, we are expecting our schools to be closed at least through May 2020. Even if staff are able to return to school buildings with reasonable safety, we anticipate needing 1-2 weeks to train staff on new procedures and ensure the buildings are safe and functional for educating children.
We will make decisions about how and when to reopen in collaboration with county health officials, our state licensing consultant, and our professional networks (such as Child Care Network and the Early Childhood Directors Association. We also have family members in the Apple Playschools community with professional expertise in public health and policy development who will advise us on how to implement changes we expect to cleaning/sanitizing practices, classroom size and layout, health screening procedures, etc.
At this point, we are expecting our schools to be closed at least through May 2020. Even if staff are able to return to school buildings with reasonable safety, we anticipate needing 1-2 weeks to train staff on new procedures and ensure the buildings are safe and functional for educating children.
Can you elaborate on your plans to allow new families to enroll while preserving space for the current families?
We are working diligently to balance flexibility for current families experiencing financial hardship with a desire to support prospective families looking for care and respite, as well as with the financial security that comes with increasing our enrollment wherever possible.
We have had many prospective families contact us about tours and wait list spots during the closure. When we have a better idea of our reopening date, we will first confirm with current families to determine who is planning to return to school. After we have a good sense of what spaces are available, we will work as quickly as possible to move additional families off those lists and enroll them in our programming. In the interim, we are working with prospective families to provide information and virtual tours and put them on a wait list for their desired start date. For more information on enrollment, visit the school websites for Green Apple Garden and Manzanitas Spanish Immersion Playschools.
We have had many prospective families contact us about tours and wait list spots during the closure. When we have a better idea of our reopening date, we will first confirm with current families to determine who is planning to return to school. After we have a good sense of what spaces are available, we will work as quickly as possible to move additional families off those lists and enroll them in our programming. In the interim, we are working with prospective families to provide information and virtual tours and put them on a wait list for their desired start date. For more information on enrollment, visit the school websites for Green Apple Garden and Manzanitas Spanish Immersion Playschools.
Will staff have paid sick time when schools reopen?
Currently, our staff are eligible for accrued paid time off starting with 8 days a year. We will be reviewing this policy with our human resources consultant and legal counsel to see what flexibility may be needed in response to this health crisis. We will also be working to accurately evaluate and plan for increased costs associated with paid leave and hiring substitutes.
What are the plans for hiring teachers to fill open staff positions?
We have many open positions in our schools right now, including teaching positions that require several weeks of training and onboarding before a teacher can begin working in the classroom. We are hoping to raise enough funds through the Survive + Thrive campaign to begin hiring for some of these positions before we reopen. We are also in contact with a third-party substitute placement agency to find some additional subs that can be called in as-needed. To learn more about open positions, visit our careers page.
Are Apple Playschools staff collecting unemployment?
At this time, substitute teachers who do not work regular hours with us have been offered the option to be put on leave in order to collect unemployment. However, our Flex, Apprentice, and Mentor teachers are continuing to work from home. The primary reason for this is that we believe it is best for children and staff if our teachers continue working to provide programming and support for families during the closure. All the data show that maintaining relationships, regular routine, and responsibilities toward a common purpose are good for emotional health. We also want to reduce the stress on overtaxed assistance programs for as long as possible.
Additionally, we feel that moving folks onto unemployment could have unintended negative consequences for our staff that we don’t know about or realize. In particular, we are thinking about folks who have moved a lot in the past years (and worked in several different states) for whom applying for unemployment may be difficult. We are also thinking about staff who are not US citizens who may be negatively impacted by utilizing government assistance when applying for citizenship in the future. Finally, all reports indicate that unemployment wages have not been easy to apply for, and there are long delays in receiving them. Some of our staff are already experiencing tight finances and we to avoid delaying or decreasing payment as much as possible.
Additionally, we feel that moving folks onto unemployment could have unintended negative consequences for our staff that we don’t know about or realize. In particular, we are thinking about folks who have moved a lot in the past years (and worked in several different states) for whom applying for unemployment may be difficult. We are also thinking about staff who are not US citizens who may be negatively impacted by utilizing government assistance when applying for citizenship in the future. Finally, all reports indicate that unemployment wages have not been easy to apply for, and there are long delays in receiving them. Some of our staff are already experiencing tight finances and we to avoid delaying or decreasing payment as much as possible.
Has Apple Playschools applied for any financial aid from the government, loans, etc.?
We are hoping not to use a commercial loan so we can avoid taking on more organizational debt. We are in the process of applying for both an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and a Payroll Protection Program Loan (PPP). Our PPP loan application is in the SBA queue, but the original round of funding for this program has run out, so we don't know when more funding may become available.
We are especially interested in the PPP program because if we use at least 75% of the loan to meet payroll costs, the loan will be forgiven and it essentially becomes a grant. While government and bank officials have assured us that all businesses applying to the PPP loan program are going to be approved for funding, it is unclear how quickly our application will be processed and when we will receive the loan money. We have heard very mixed results from our colleagues and there is a lot of uncertainty and frustration around the administration of these loans. In addition, the loan request amount is calculated on past payroll, during a time period where we were chronically short-staffed. Therefore, the cost associated with adding essential positions to our team during the closure would NOT be covered by any loans we received. We anticipate this to be about $150,000. That is why we created the Survive + Thrive Fund.
We are especially interested in the PPP program because if we use at least 75% of the loan to meet payroll costs, the loan will be forgiven and it essentially becomes a grant. While government and bank officials have assured us that all businesses applying to the PPP loan program are going to be approved for funding, it is unclear how quickly our application will be processed and when we will receive the loan money. We have heard very mixed results from our colleagues and there is a lot of uncertainty and frustration around the administration of these loans. In addition, the loan request amount is calculated on past payroll, during a time period where we were chronically short-staffed. Therefore, the cost associated with adding essential positions to our team during the closure would NOT be covered by any loans we received. We anticipate this to be about $150,000. That is why we created the Survive + Thrive Fund.
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