Childminder changing rules

[Mama12345678910]

Hi everyone after some advice and if you know where we stand.

Without notice our childminder has changed her policy to state that if a child has any of the main symptoms such as cough, temp etc they need to get a test and then isolate but also if they have a range of symptoms such as vomiting, runny nose, headache etc!

It then goes on to say that even if my child has a test and tests negative they still need to isolate for 10 days!

Is this even allowed? This wasn’t in the contact we originally signed or policy’s and if my child has to be off every time they have a symptom which could be a symptom of covid he will never be in. I don’t get paid when I have to take time off for him either.

Let me know

I'd say your childminder is trying to get rid of your child. Maybe she has a better offer or doesn't click with your child. I often see childminders having a certain sex of child around here. One I know always takes boys and has a girl at the moment. She says she very challenging and doesn't want to do the same things as the others. Could just be a personality clash.

There's a very difficult child across the road from me who goes to a childminder, the minded must be a saint or the child must behave differently there.

@beingmorehappy

Children are often totally different for others

Its very common for children to come in waves....I have had all boys for 4 years then suddenly everyone coming along were girls few years later went the other way. Hope nobody decided to be all judgemental and assume id deliberately chosen any more than if they were all of one ethnic origin.
As to dosent like your child how do you get that a change in policy is a change in policy for all not one.

@ beingmorehappy I only ever seem to get boys in 8 years only ever cared for 1 girl. That is not through choice just the parents who have been to see me and sign up.

@beingmorehappy

I'd say your childminder is trying to get rid of your child. Maybe she has a better offer or doesn't click with your child. I often see childminders having a certain sex of child around here. One I know always takes boys and has a girl at the moment. She says she very challenging and doesn't want to do the same things as the others. Could just be a personality clash.

There's a very difficult child across the road from me who goes to a childminder, the minded must be a saint or the child must behave differently there.

Omg this is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve read on this whole thread!

I’m the past I’ve cared for mostly girls then the next few years it was mostly boys, I really hope nobody has been judgemental enough to think I had done this deliberately

The thing is, she’s a childminder not a school. She’s self-employed and can set her own policies. Your only option if she is adamant she’ll insist on the 10 days isolation for everything is to look for another childcare option.

@dementedpixie

The whole point of the test is to stop you needing to isolate if you have symptoms as it means you don't have covid

This. If you have symptoms, and the symptoms are caused by Covid it would show as positive. If you have symptoms such as a temperature and you test negative, then you do not have covid, you just have one of the billion other reasons to have a temperature, from possible serious illnesses to wearing too many layers!

Isolation is for: having Covid, having symptoms and awaiting a test result, for those who have been in contact with someone with Covid or being in contact contact with someone awaiting a test results after testing due to symptoms.

You can't just say the kids have to stay away for 10 days if they're proven negative "just in case". That means all kids are potentially infected at all times and should be in constant isolation.

@beingmorehappy I know a lot of childminders and none of them turn away children for any reason never mind based on sex of the child.

I've been doing this for around 10 years now and have had probably 3 or 4 times as many boys as girls.
I've also had a lot of times where I've had all boys. Never had all girls though.

You can't just say the kids have to stay away for 10 days if they're proven negative "just in case". That means all kids are potentially infected at all times and should be in constant isolation.

The childminder can say that. Who do you think can force her to look after the child?

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion you cannot force her to look after your child but she cannot refuse to take your Covid free child and still charge you, especially full price!!
If that was the way of it she could just sit at home raking in the dough without seeing a single child because of her OTT Covid rules that are not what the government are advising.

OP, find a new childminder ASAP.

Of course the op could just talk to the cm and ask how she came to this decision. You never know it maybe becouse she has misread something or knows that people are not following lockdown rules so feels they maybe in contact with others. Unless you ask you won't know.

@Apple40

@ Viviennemary guidance from my local authority is even with negative test child still needs to isolate for full 10 days as they could still test positive a few days later.

Only this if you have been in contact with a positive case.

That's my understanding too. If you've been in direct contact with somebody who has Covid you self isolate. If as far as you know you haven't been in contact with somebody with Covid but you still develop what you think could be Covid symptoms then you get a test and isolate till you get the result. If it's negative you no longer isolate. Because your symptons aren't Covid. It's a bit confusing to say the least.

You can't just say the kids have to stay away for 10 days if they're proven negative "just in case". That means all kids are potentially infected at all times and should be in constant isolation.

If you’re a self-employed service provider, like a childminder, you can say whatever you like. Clients (parents) can decide if they’re happy to use the terms under those service conditions or not.

That’s it. Nothing supersedes that. So it doesn’t matter if the childminder is “wrong”. If that’s how they want to operate, their risk is that people will vote with their feet and go elsewhere. The OP as a client has no vote other than taking her money (and child) elsewhere.

you cannot force her to look after your child but she cannot refuse to take your Covid free child and still charge you, especially full price!!

Actually she can refuse to take your covid free child and request full fee, you just have the option not to pay full fee and find alternative childcare.

@NoSquirrels we know this. My point is that he childminder cannot, in good conscious, expect full payment for services she is refusing to offer because SHE is deciding to make up her own new rules on the spot. No doubt there is something in the contract about notice periods and parents having to pay in full until the time is up.

OP does need to vote with her feet because the childminder is wrong. And I would not be paying for the days of forced unnecessary isolation. Nor should she be paying out £70 to £200+ for a test as she is not entitled to one from the NHS without lying or being in an area running asymptomatic testing.

Time to look for another cm or a nursery.

Thanks for your replies everyone. To answer a few questions:

• I started this thread to get other peoples opinions such as other parents and childminder and to see if anyone else had come across this issue.
• Yes I have spoken to my childminder at length with her citing friends who work in healthcare settings advising her as her basis for the policy not her insurers
• I’ve also told her I’m not happy with this new policy particularly in regards to the not being able to return after a negative test. Like others have said to me this is completely unreasonable and I’m essence is her refusing to have my child so I take issue to being expected to pay full fees in that instance.

I understand people are worried. I am also and due to being a keyworker I’m at work every day too, but to exclude people for any little symptom that could “possibly” be covid seems OTT to me. If this happened in the NHS with doctors and nurses they’d be overwhelmed for sure.

So what was the outcome OP? Are you going to find alternative childcare. What did your childminder say when you told her you weren't happy about the new policy?

Many settings are being told to be aware of different symptoms in children.

I wonder if she misinterpreted the negative test but - ie you can't test yourself out of isolation, but if the child is the one with symptoms and tests negative, then they should normally be able to return once symptom free.

However ... it's her business and her policy.

OP regardless of what you decide in the end download the Covid app for your smartphone - covid.joinzoe.com/

Set up profiles for yourself and your child(ren) so if any of you have signs and/or symptoms that aren't the government's 3, you can get a Covid test.

OP, to me your CM's stance seems quite extreme. But, a lot of CM feel completely thrown under the bus at the moment by the government as they are told to stay open when schools are closed and the fact they work from home means they are in a more vulnerable position than other early years providers such as a nursery as they are putting their own families at risk by potentially bringing the virus into their homes.

Having said that, CMs do have the option not to open if they are that concerned so there is no need for such extreme policies. And she shouldn't be charging you full fees if she is refusing to have your child.

The trouble is that all CM work in different ways so some have really clamped down on rules and regulations for attendance and some are carrying on as normal.

If you are not happy I think you need to look for alternative childcare. I would not be happy with exclusion for 10 days for every little sniffle or cold.