When do you think childcare will reopen?

[RoseGoldEagle]

I know no one knows. Seen lots of threads about opinions on when schools will reopen. Do you think childcare would open sooner if schools don’t open til Sept, since they’re not closed in the summer holidays anyway? Or do you think they’ll just do the same as schools? Just interested in people’s opinions!

I've been wondering the same thing. I bloody hope childcare reopens before September!

We got our 30 hours funding on 1 April and making sweet fuck all use of it atm

I’m hopeful of possibly June. That’s based on nothing really other than gut instinct and hope. I’m on mat leave at the moment but due to return early June. Whilst I’m sure it is really hard to work whilst homeschooling I would suggest that working whilst simultaneously looking after a pre schooler or two is basically impossible. We would have to stagger our work as much as possible and work 7 days a week which would help a bit but we are both client facing so we still need to be “on” during office hours.

Sunshinegirl. I’m about to go back after maternity leave too, have a 3 and 1 year old, and DH is still working long hours out of the house, so just no idea how I’ll make it work! I’m shattered just from entertaining them during this lockdown even without any work to add in to the equation!

I am hopeful that schools and childcare might reopen after May half term, which would be Monday 1st June I think. That would make it 10 weeks since they were closed (on 22 March).

I'm not basing it on any particular knowledge or research - I would hope that the worst might be over by then but who knows?! I guess we just have to wait and see what happens.

It is not knowing and not having an end date that makes it very hard.

will teachers an nursery staff want to be in work by then.....or prefer distancing still

children have no concern for distancing or hygiene,so i think september

I think September would be a mistake as it will cause a spike of infection just as we enter the Winter flu season. I’m not an epidemiologist though so we’ll see what the experts say.

I also have a 3 year old and my youngest is 11 months. My eldest is really feeling it now and really misses his friends at nursery, he’s definitely showing some frustration in his behaviour. I won’t pretend I’m not finding it really, really tough mentally. I would go out everyday when I had both DC at home and meet friends, have play dates, baby sensory, swimming etc. Keeping them both entertained at home when their needs are so different is really hard. We are lucky to have a decent sized garden at least.

well if not september,when? maybe cancel school holidays and start back mid august

some people think next january!!

I would suggest June if the peak has passed and new cases are at a level that is manageable for the NHS. My nursery runs 51 weeks a year so would usually be open in July and August in any event.

As a nursery nurse still at work we cant wait for our little friends to come back asap!

• you're right about lack of understanding re social distancing I'm still greeted by sloppy kisses, toddlers wanting to bounce o n my knee etc

Sennetti
Remember there are many teachers and childcare professionals still working, to look after vulnerable children and children of key workers.
It won't be their choice anyway - it will be the government and education officials.

It really depends on when they lift lockdown restrictions. From what is being said it won't be for a while yet, so possibly mid-May/early June?

June I think. The government is going to want to get the economy going again. My DS is in a private nursery so smaller than a school nursery and the staff are all quite young (Maybe less health concerns?) so I live in hope.

I think schools need to return first.

No schools means no parents can work.

I think it will be another 3 weeks of this and they will start to allow schools back.

I really want my DD back with her teacher and friends...... But I'm really scared of getting this virus and being unlucky with how it affects me. I keep having horrible thoughts of struggling to breathe and not seeing my kids again. You just don't know anymore. Healthy people are dying. Healthy people are still getting it bad. I've never had flu type symptoms (I know it's not flu) and I'm terrified of feeling that rough.

Schools before childcare? Why? Childminders have fewer children so less cross contamination than schools. With nurseries it depends on the size but most will have smaller groups than schools do.

I don't see why schools should be prioritised over childcare, both are important, and if you have to pick one over the other, I think it's much harder to WFH with a 1-4 year old than it is with most school age children, who can occupy themselves for longer.

As a childminder I'm desperately hoping its sooner rather than later.

kids are catching the virus and dying from it.....before schools closed there were no cases with kids and everyone was saying kids can't catch it, they only get a mild infection etc. cases were quite low and death rate was nothing like the hundreds we currently have

now its more widespread ,where does that leave us?

My friend is on Furlough from nursery. She’s been told to expect to be back from mid May / early June. That’s just her nursery and I don’t know where the management have got that info from.

The risk to children from the virus remains low.

We can’t stay locked in our houses for 12/18 months so we will have to start slowly releasing the lockdown. That will involve a further increase in cases however there really isn’t another option. As long as the number of cases remain at a level that can be safely managed by the NHS the that is likely to be the best we can do.

I’m fairly accepting that it’s likely I will catch the virus at some point. It’s when not if from my perspective.

i think mid may is the end of the 3 month furlough window

maybe it will be lifted then or reviewed

think schools need to return first.

No schools means no parents can work

That literally makes no sense. Parents can’t go back to work if they have a child in nursery? Both are just as important

Furlough ends May 31st (currently) so unless they extend it June 1st is the latest date to keep businesses closed

No schools means no parents can work.

Im working and so are all my work colleagues (non of us key workers)
My husband is working and so are all his colleagues
My friend is also working

We are working from home and juggling life at the moment. But it can be done if parents want to.
Also it’s easier to keep busier on their own a school age child over a toddler.

I hope childcare is prioritise over schools and hope to be back around July. They’re smaller so less chances of cross infections.

Wales has suspended the free 30 hours scheme for 3 months and is funneling that funding into providing free childcare for preschool children of key workers for 12 weeks. So that implies that will be when they may reopen to their normal parents from then on.

I'm glad 30 hours hasn't been suspended in England, at least childcare providers are still getting the funding to keep going.

Surely keyworkers don't need free childcare if they're still working and getting paid?! (I say this as someone who is technically a key worker but not as essential as NHS.)

At the start the question from key workers was, if the schools are open for our older children, what do we do with our preschool age children to allow us to work? So they have organised this through the nurseries. And used the 30 hours to fund it.