How will you cover childcare long term?

[ritzbiscuits]

How are people are managing childcare for young primary school kids while schools are closed, and is anyone is worrying about managing this long term? It's making me generally quite anxious.

DH and I are both taking a day per week exceptional leave and juggling the rest, paid so I know we're very lucky. When this runs out do we just move to taking this time unpaid/using annual leave? I'm sure some are already in this position and again will be worried about annual leave running out.

Can't quite get my head around how this is logistically going to work for a long period, say until Sept or longer. It's make summer holiday planning look a breeze!

Thoughts most welcomed...thanks

As a childcare provider (nanny) I continue to provide care for a family where both parents are keyworkers (military/medical). All other work I do has been stopped, including care of an elderly person because they don't receive "essential care" which is defined in legislation.

Providers have to minimise the risk to themselves and others, so not going between several families in a week.

Once lockdown is relaxed, then we will need to see what childcare reopens. Some nurseries, some childminders, some nannies may be so broke that they don't restart. Childcare workers are already thinking about what other work they can do, that they don't want to return to childcare.

As a nanny I may get more work once lockdown is released or I may not as parents may decide that one parent works at home caring for the children whilst the other works outside of the home. Both parents working outside of the home may become unusual. Time will tell, at the moment I don't think anyone knows what will happen.

I have no alternative but to work with my child home. My child has just started school so not a toddler or baby, and it requires planning and juggling. However it's not impossible and many are in the same position.

Atm I'm preferring this to furloughing, as although now it may not be planned for redundancy, the longer this go on, if the role was dispensed with during coronavirus , it must be at higher risk of redundancy is times get tougher.... And noone can predict this.

As I understand it, furlough isn't a childcare solution. If the company is furloughing staff anyway because there is insufficient work, then an employee can request they are one of the furloughed because they have childcare responsibilities. It's a bit like volunteering for redundancy (and I completely understand why some people are reluctant to be furloughed for this reason).

@BumpkinSpiceBatty childminders are allowed to care for children of key workers. I'm not quite sure what you're talking about

@Looneytune253 I think @BumpkinSpiceBatty did say that childminders could have key worker children. The poster they were replying to was not a key worker as far as I read.

Nannies can still work. So although more expensive in the short term, it may be a good solution for parents who need to work and don't want to take unpaid leave.

If this goes on for a long time, I wonder if they'd let people pair up with other families to pool childcare? So take it in turns to have 4 kids instead of 2. More work gets done and if you're socially isolating otherwise, it wouldn't increase risk by that much.

I've got an 11mo and 3.5yo, it is not safe or possible to work and look after them at the same time. Even with copious amounts of telly and biscuits.

DH is on paternity leave now, but when he's back to work we'll try a split shift pattern. I'm afraid it will make us massively tired and run down thus harder to avoid CV, though. We'll have zero downtime and thanks to the baby we're not getting much sleep either.

@looneytune253 that's exactly what I said.
The second message I was replying to a poster who isn't a keyworker.

I'm working from home with 10 n 5 yr old hard work

Hi
Thanks for your suggestions about furlough but my company is super busy so they are not planning furlough for anyone..
I m stuck with lots of work and a 16 months old and a 3 and a half years old.

This is potentially quite dangerous.
Yesterday the eldesr old put a blanket on top of the baby and sat on top of his brother
😳
Luckily I realized as there was no sound
I wonder what other options are there if furlough is not considered by my employer
Flowers to you all

Hi ladies
It looks like my employer will make me use all of my annual leave now
Not great but it is legal...
www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus/time-off-work-to-look-after-someone

Oh god i wish my workplace would furlough me 🙈🙈🙈