One key worker, child should stay home

[Areyouactuallyseriousrightnow]

Not sure if there has already been a thread but AIBU to think that if only one parent is key worker and other is WFH, child should be staying home as school provision is for key workers who cannot complete their important role if they have to look after child at home, not so that the other parent can continue with work without interruption?

My partner is a key worker, but I don’t consider us eligible as I am home and therefore technically can be with the children.

YABU- if there’s one key worker take that opportunity to send the child in.
YANBU- if there’s another parent at home, child should stay home.

@ElsaSchraeder yes, I am one. I work in furniture manufacturing. Can you make furniture at home?

So is your factory still open? You will have to pay for childcare then, or bubble with neighbours and commit to only seeing them.

I don't think it's right!! But the solution is not to send everyone to school!

Or ask for furlough!

Basically anyone who works in manufacturing is a non key worker unless it's essential like food or medicine. But we have been told to carry on and you can't do it at home.

@ElsaSchraeder yes, it's still open. DS has a key worker place as his dad is a critical worker thankfully.

"Bubble with neighbours" I barely know my neighbours.

"Do you realise that you can claim the SEISS grant if you’ve had to scale back due to childcare reasons (and meet the other criteria)"
No vast numbers of the self employed cannot - sole traders with before tax profits of £50k+ get zero in grants whereas PAYE employees even on as much as £100k can be put on £2k a month furlough. Also if they have savings they cannot obtain universal credit either. Also if they just started in business last year before March they get nothing either.

Critical worker list is here www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

I've been refused furlough. We are incredibly busy. Everyone is buying new furniture as they can't have holidays it seems!

ok, it's paid for childcare then isn't it,m

Sorry - isn't it? Don't mean to write mm in a patronising way!

You must know other parents at your children's school. I'm sorry to have a go at you, but there are more pandemic-friendly options you could take and it's fair enough to question people's decisions.

No, I'm using the key worker place. The school would have refused if they didn't have the provision.

And it really isn't your place to question others.

I know parents at school, but not well enough to expect them to do 5 days a week of childcare for me.

@Xenia, my post quite clearly said “and meet the other criteria” therefore I wasn’t talking about those who cannot claim because the don’t meet the criteria!

Also how is paid for childcare any safer than a school place?

@Waxonwaxoff0

I know parents at school, but not well enough to expect them to do 5 days a week of childcare for me.

Yep same. I'd feel guilty even asking a family member to do that, especially for free. Especially if they knew I could get a keyworker place at school!

@Waxonwaxoff0

I’d do the same as you and agree that you can’t just ask another family to do full time childcare for you for an indeterminate amount of time, how ridiculous of the poster to suggest that!

Is there really anyone who is willing to just lose their job, their income, potentially their homes etc for ‘the greater good’?

@Banoffeepies

Is there really anyone who is willing to just lose their job, their income, potentially their homes etc for ‘the greater good’?

Those that are losing or quitting their jobs are overwhelmingly women.

Women as a group are on track to lose pretty much all the progress we've made over the last few decades and it's depressing as fuck 😞

I’m a key worker single parent and thankfully my dd has a place at school. But I’m a bit suprised at the some of the attitudes here that a non key worker (with a key worker partner) should just take unpaid leave or just not work and lose their jobs to avoid taking a place at school that they’re entitled to.

For many taking unpaid leave would involve losing their jobs plunging them into poverty potentially losing their home etc. I wouldn’t sacrifice that for society nor do I know anyone who would.

@Banoffeepies

I’m a key worker single parent and thankfully my dd has a place at school. But I’m a bit suprised at the some of the attitudes here that a non key worker (with a key worker partner) should just take unpaid leave or just not work and lose their jobs to avoid taking a place at school that they’re entitled to.

For many taking unpaid leave would involve losing their jobs plunging them into poverty potentially losing their home etc. I wouldn’t sacrifice that for society nor do I know anyone who would.

AFAIK no one has said that. People have just said they can do childcare while WFH like everyone else

And what about non key workers who can’t work from home? Not everyone can work from home.

@Waxonwaxoff0 the thread is predominantly questioning scenario where there is a non KW parent at home not looking after their child, that’s not the case in your instance so I’d say this doesn’t apply to you.

@Banoffeepies I thought the general point of the thread was saying that non KW parents (who have a KW partner) who are at home should look after their kids otherwise school admissions are so high that the infection continues to proliferate and so the misery continues for everyone.
For those without a KW partner that has meant lots of compromises, it has been shit but it has been done by very many, and I don’t see how it automatically leads to unpaid leave/not working/job loss when it comes to those who have a KW partner.

At the end of the day, based on the criteria it turns out a lot of people are doing critical jobs (no big surprise!). So we have to further prioritise, even if the government refuses to, to say that school should only be open for those doing critical jobs where no one is available to look after the child. Otherwise the schools effectively stay open and the misery continues for many more months and everyone will lose their jobs anyway.

My comments are more aimed at people who are saying that a family with only 1 key worker should not be entitled to a school place no matter what. Some non key workers can’t WFH and some can’t afford to just stop working for the greater good of society.