March 13, 2020 Message
In light of Governor Hogan’s recent announcements and new measures to contain Covid-19, The Arc Montgomery County has made the difficult decision to suspend our day program operations, beginning Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27. At that time, we will review the current conditions within Maryland.
People we support who have paid jobs, including group employment, should follow the directions from their employer. If these individuals are continuing to work, we will continue providing support to them, unless they are sick.
The CDC has recommended increased personal hygiene and social distancing as ways to control the spread of the virus and we realize that congregate and community settings increase the vulnerability of people we support and our staff.
This decision impacts families, other residential agencies, our own community living homes – and all our employees. We are all in this together as we all must make difficult decisions in an attempt to slow the spread of this virus and keep people safe and healthy.
In making this decision, we gave very careful consideration to all our families and community partners. The implications of school closures and the need to focus on our most essential services are all foremost in our minds. Because the situation continues to evolve and change on a day-to-day basis, we feel it is vitally important that we use an abundance of caution, and as the Governor said, get in front of the situation and work together.
Additional assessments of program needs and staff availability are underway. All non-essential activities and meetings are cancelled until further notice.
We recognize these disruptions will be challenging and difficult for many. These are unprecedented times, and we must act quickly and carefully to ensure the safety and health of the people we support.
Families and other agencies should use their normal contacts for questions. This will also help us identify new information to distribute. If you don't receive a satisfactory response, please email info@arcmontmd.org.
