Our childminder announced to all the parents today on WhatsApp that due to the new Omnicron variant and the new government guidelines a child who displays any corona symptoms, even if it is just a cough, has to stay at home for 10 days and take a lateral flow test every day.
Another parent pointed out to them that the government guidelines are actually that a child with covid symptoms like a cough can prove their negative corona status with a negative PCR test and then leave self isolation and return to the nursery/childminder. Also that children under 5 don't have to do daily lateral flow tests.
The childminder then just responded that those are just guidelines and that they can make their own rules.
To me and my husband it just seems like they are taking the piss by implementing these rules. To us, it looks like they want to have an easy January. Children have a little cough all the time, so it looks to us like they just want to send children home left, right and centre for 10 days all the while still receiving the full fees from the parents.
We are just wondering if the childminder is actually entitled to do this or if there are grounds for not paying them the full fees?