Confused- children of key workers?

[keentohelp]

Will schools be open to children who only have one key worker parent, or will it need to be both parents to be eligible?

"So yes both parents of course."

I didn't say it shouldn't be both parents, nor that being allowed to school was a reward(???!!!?, but was wondering if it might happen that the key worker stays at home & the non key worker goes to work?

He works full time in the private sector and won’t get paid for time off so therefore can’t have them

He has to have them, they're his children.

So if both parents need to be key workers, I wonder if any will make the choice for the key worker to stay at home & look after the kids?

@diddl there won't be that kind of choice. Key workers have to go to work. Mon-key workers are obliged to take up the slack with childcare.

Non-key

We desperately need DfE guidance on this. Who counts as a key worker, is there an age limit and do both parents need to be key workers.

If the measure to close schools is designed to reduce transmission they need to restrict eligibility as far as they feasibly can.

Our school is saying either both parents have to be key or if single parent the solo parent with responsibility

If you are a single parent with full care of your children how can the school say your ex has to have them?

Both parents

Does anyone else imagine some civil servant somewhere monitoring these threads calling out - have we put farmer down as key worker? Maybe we should add that to the list. Would help if it was better planned to start with.

It’s been a terrible day at school today. And the lack of key worker guidance has pretty much finished me off! We were counting on that being confirmed at 5pm. Thanks for that Boris.

Tbf, the government haven't planned this properly because they are trying to do a million things, and a lot of those things are life and death decisions. We need the guidance today tho. We can't go in tomorrow and not know which kids and staff are going to be in on Monday

There has been absolutely no guidance about who the key workers are. Totally ridiculous!

We were expecting to know before now. Surely it has to be both parents are key workers.

We have been told that all staff must be in on Monday!

Not really social distancing, is it...

Teachers are going to be key workers so they can insist that we go in. I think unions may need to get involved to ensure that staff aren't being needlessly put at risk. I'm happy to go in, but vulnerable teachers shouldn't be forced to - especially where they aren't actually needed (eg a friend of mine who is medically vulnerable, isn't actually needed so the head has given a list of admin tasks they can do).

@fedup21, so have we.

@PerfectParrot, if you work in a school that won't protect vulnerable teachers you need to leave! I can at least say that my Trust has all of our best interests at heart.

Sorry, not you personally but teachers generally.

Yeah, I know. My school has left it up to individual staff and asked them to just let slt know if they can't be in. Extra hours (weekends, evening, Easter hols) are completely optional.

I'm a teacher and DH is support staff. We are both expected in to staff our school. This is fine, no issue, but a friend pointed out that support staff may not be key workers so I guess my own child won't qualify for school even though we are both expected in to support!

Key workers can’t me made to go into work. If I was in this situation and my dh earned more and needed to go to work so he didn’t lose his job then I’d walk out my less well paid nhs job if I had to. I’d prioritise whoever’s job was going to be able to pay the mortgage and bills the most. Plus I’d know the nhs are so desperate for staff I’d be able to go back to work afterwards.

Sadly this is what I’m thinking I’ll be forced to do if I have no childcare. Had a long conversation with ex husband tonight and he has said if he can’t go to work he won’t be paid, he is private renting and won’t be able to pay any bills or child maintenance to me. He would be entitled to around £90 per week if he could get sick pay but would not get that for being off for the children. I get paid a pittance band 2 so if the school can’t have them then I will have to leave work temporarily which isn’t great for anyone. But I really have no other choice. The government really need to think through their plans for key workers and clarify everything.

" then I’d walk out my less well paid nhs job"

This is what I'm thinking will happen in some cases-so there will be even less staff available.

I'm sure there's a limit as to what other companies to do to enable their staff to stay home for key workers to work.

The way I interpret it your ex will have to look after your children as he is not a key worker. If the firm he works for takes advantage of today's announcement that they will subsidise wages up to 80% then that is surely a big help. The big question of course is 'if'?