14 day quarantine and shared custody?

[IAmTheWaiting]

I can't find anything definitive about this.

In the standard UK lockdown, children with shared custody parents were still allowed to move between their two homes. What is the situation with the 14 day isolation when returning from abroad? Can they go to the other parent if they stay in there too?

[dementedpixie]

So the other parent would self isolate too and not go out?

[PatriciaHolm]

If the arrangements are court ordered, then the child can move between homes.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-how-to-self-isolate-when-you-travel-to-the-uk/coronavirus-covid-19-how-to-self-isolate-when-you-travel-to-the-uk

You are not allowed to change the place where you are self-isolating except in very limited circumstances, including where:
• a legal obligation requires you to change address, such as where you are a child whose parents live separately, and you need to move between homes as part of a shared custody agreement

[Underhisi]

I think they have to stay in one place unless there is an emergency.

[IAmTheWaiting]

Hmm no we have no court order in place, it's just been a mutual agreement all DCs life so never needed one. But otherwise DCs won't see their Dad all summer which is pretty severe- we knew there was a risk of quarantine, but naively thought that aspect of quarantine would be as per the previous lockdown.

Yes, the other parent would isolate with them too.

[AugustBreeze]

Good question. I think there's a need for lots more guidance for separated families, I posted about it a while ago on the lone parents board.

As far as I can see the two households should follow the rules for bubbles, but that should be stated explicitly as some parents will not get this and won't be doing it.

Do the quarantine rules mention bubbles at all?

[AugustBreeze]

Do you consider your ex's household as a bubble, for isolation purposes? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/lone_parents/3990556-do-you-consider-your-ex-s-household-as-a-bubble-for-isolation-purposes

[AugustBreeze]

Ah have found the rule in the self isolation for travellers guidance, the answer is here:

"You are not allowed to change the place where you are self-isolating except in very limited circumstances, including where:
• a legal obligation requires you to change address, such as where you are a child whose parents live separately, and you need to move between homes as part of a shared custody agreement"

[IAmTheWaiting]

@AugustBreeze under the previous rules we didn't need to count them as a bubble because there was an explicit statement in place that children from split families could move households without any mention of 'bubbles'. Other than via the DCs, DH and I have no contact with Ex or his household.

Our 'bubble' is my elderly DF who lives alone so is bubbled in with us. Although we will be isolating from them for the 14 days unless there's a major emergency.

[AugustBreeze]

Although I guess that literally means only if there is a court ordered custody agreement?

[IAmTheWaiting]

@AugustBreeze yes it's the court ordered part that is the issue. Ironically, if we hadn't parted amicably and courts had been involved it'd be OK, but because our shared custody was mutually agreed the kids will suffer! Seems a bit crazy.

[AugustBreeze]

Yes OP but I thought that was simply because they hadn't updated the original guidance when bubbles were introduced...

If bubbled households should isolate if one person has symptoms, then surely households with children travelling between them should?

[IAmTheWaiting]

Totally agree if any of us got symptoms, we'd all isolate..but the guidance says if you come into close contact with anyone with symptoms now you have to isolate anyway, so that applies regardless of whether it's because of shared custody arrangements