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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Childminder pick-ups/drop-offs

23 replies

Threelilbears · 30/05/2020 22:23

Not an AIBU. Just posting here to see how other schools are handling this.

My children's school is refusing to let childminders do drop offs or pick ups.

I have no idea how other working parents are going to manage with this arrangement but apparently I'm the only parent who has an issue with this 🤔

What's everyone else's schools doing?

OP posts:

LouiseTrees · 30/05/2020 22:50

There was an identical thread the other day here. So many schools insisting on this. Some people were deciding they wanted their one form of childcare to be the childminder not the school.

Original poster

Threelilbears · 30/05/2020 22:53

Thanks LouiseTrees, I've not been on for a while, I'll have a search for it.

OP posts:

TeaAndBrie · 30/05/2020 23:14

How are you managing with the children at home at present and working? Could you agree with your employer to bookend the school day with WFH?

Halo1234 · 30/05/2020 23:25

Why? Can they do that? That's not really their job to dictate who can pick children up. I dont think that's right or fair at all....parents need to work to keep society running and keep their children in homes. No many people can afford to do drop.off and pick up every day. I would challenge the school that they have no legal right to dictate who picks the children up. They are making parental decisions and thats not their place imo

Stannisbaratheonsboxofmatches · 30/05/2020 23:27

If they are yr 6 can they just walk around the corner and meet the childminder by themselves? Obviously this doesn’t help if they aren’t yr6!

IamHyouweegobshite · 30/05/2020 23:28

My school has the same policy. It's to limit the bubbles. Family bubble to school bubble back to family bubble. You add a childminder, another parent or whoever into the mix, you are extending that Bubble. Which puts more people at risk.

IamHyouweegobshite · 30/05/2020 23:29

Y6 children who used to be able to walk, are now no longer able to, as they can't be trusted to social distance.

SandieCheeks · 30/05/2020 23:31

I would firstly go to your Local Authority to complain if it's an LA school.

Alternatively could you, or a friend/relative, get to school to collect your child and hand them over to the childminder?

hazelnutlatte · 30/05/2020 23:33

My childminder is longer allowed to take my kids when they go back to school - the guidance for childminders says children can only attend one setting. As breakfast club and after school clubs are not running this means I can only work school hours. Thankfully my workplace are allowing this for now but anyone who works in a less flexible job is really going to struggle

Pinkflipflop85 · 30/05/2020 23:35

Every school in our borough has said the same. It has come from risk assessments done by the borough.

SandieCheeks · 30/05/2020 23:36

@hazelnutlatte "the guidance for childminders says children can only attend one setting"
No it doesn't, or at least the government guidance doesn't. It just says parents should be encouraged to use one setting where possible. If it isn't possible, for example because parents need to work, children can still attend two settings.

hazelnutlatte · 31/05/2020 00:03

@sandiecheeks I think Pacey have issued their own guidance to childminders - this might differ from the government guidance. I haven't actually read it though. My childminder has been really flexible and accommodating through lockdown so I'm sure she would take my kids if she could!

Original poster

Threelilbears · 31/05/2020 00:37

Pacey has definitely said childminders should be able to continue to do drop/pick ups. I have spoken to the Dept of Education, they have said that nowhere in the guidance does it say Childminders are not allowed to provide wraparound care. It's the schools that are saying it.

I've been on maternity leave so haven't needed my children to attend school until now.

I work in a hospital an hour away from home, my employers would not agree for me to work a 9am-3pm shift unfortunately. It was one of my 'flexible' working conditions that I be there to start or end a shift.

OP posts:

myself2020 · 31/05/2020 05:37

If you are a keyworker, it should be fine (and working in a hospital, I assume you are). the rules for keyworker children are (for good reasons!) different.
My childminder is not allowed to collect my son as I work from home.
She is allowed to collect my friends daughter, as they both are keyworker working hospital shifts.

Original poster

Threelilbears · 31/05/2020 06:21

@myself2020 I wish it were different at my children's school! I was on the phone with them for a good 10 minutes discussing different options but no compromise or solution was found other than not sending them to school, and attending their childminders all day.

The frustrating thing is that the Junior school which is on the same site (different head teachers) is allowing childminders access.

According to the woman I spoke to I was an isolated case and all other parents are so grateful for all the hard work they are doing! Just to add I don't doubt they are working hard but for me it's just not helpful!

OP posts:

myself2020 · 31/05/2020 07:28

@Threelilbears looks as if you are being managed out. i bet you they are one child over the 15 per group size. by making it impossible for your child to attend they are making life easier for themselves- complain with the LEA. They are withholding education from your child for no good reason (as childminder collection is very definitely not forbidden)

SandieCheeks · 31/05/2020 09:31

I would escalate it too - especially as you are a keyworker they should be prioritising access for your child not sabotaging it.

@hazelnutlatte your childminder may not want to do a school pick up, some childminders are choosing not too.

hazelnutlatte · 31/05/2020 10:02

@sandiecheeks I guess so! I suppose she has done her own risk assessment and decided not to take children going to school. Juggling childcare has been an ever changing minefield lately and I had thought that schools opening would help, it's just adding extra complications! Although I'm grateful to be saving money, until this week I've been paying my childminder to have my 2 dc all day, which is eating up most of my wage!
OP I wonder if you could complain to your MP or the head of your hospital trust? My kids school refused to take the children of some of the nurses in our local hospital, they complained to the local MP who passed it up the chain, the trust spoke to the LEA and the school was forced to take them. They still wouldn't take my kids though! (I'm a nurse but not at the hospital)

nannynick · 31/05/2020 15:01

The other message thread very much related to this topic is: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a3918397-Childcare-being-removed-for-key-workers

Alas as yet there is no solution.

SandieCheeks · 31/05/2020 16:28

@nannynick

The other message thread very much related to this topic is: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a3918397-Childcare-being-removed-for-key-workers

Alas as yet there is no solution.

The OP on that thread got a solution by complaining to the council.

nannynick · 31/05/2020 18:16

The OP on that thread got a solution by complaining to the council.

Other parents still have an issue though. If enough parents complain to their local authority then maybe more schools will allow a childminder to drop/collect.

Original poster

Threelilbears · 31/05/2020 22:07

I did read that thread and have written to my local MP and need to find out how to contact LEA. Hopefully I will get some resolution this week. Thanks for all your suggestions. Such tough times for a lot of us :(

OP posts:

DisorganisedOrganiser · 31/05/2020 22:11

YANBU. It is absolutely ridiculous and totally screws over working parents. Should never have been left in the school’s hands to decide if they would allow childminders to pick up. The guidance clearly says one setting if possible. In many cases it is not possible so job done.

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