Critical workers are permitted to use family for childcare now

[Juanmorebeer]

Updated today May 14th on gov.uk

As long as they are not high risk.

Brilliant news so shocked it took so long. A relief for shift workers like me

Critical workers point 2 www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions

It doesn't read like that to me.

So my parents are 55 and healthy. Not sheilding. What's the issue?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz, it's only the vulnerable categories that ideally shouldn't be babysitting, how are you reading it?

Also this is guidance, not law, if someone with underlying health conditions wants to help out, it's their choice.

Juanmorebeer, in that case, if you are an essential worker, they could have been doing childcare. The hand should have been at the door, though.

My children won’t be going back to school, what’s the point? I can (though it’s a struggle) look after them at home and work round DH’s shifts. The schools won’t be ‘educating’ so they’ll then have to come home and do all their work!!!

It certainly reads like its changed as I'm sure before it said you should not rely on any member of your family or friends to care for your child

Just to clarify - we certainly will be educating.

Having a class of 15 of one age group means we will be able to teach again - although it won’t look the same as modern teaching usually does. Some weren’t “Educating” before because we had a wide range of mixed ages from 4 to 11 with minimal which made it challenging.

It's definitely changed. This sentenced was added today! A bit like on the first day of lockdown when the website initially said that children with split parents couldn't travel in between and then within 24 hrs they changed it.

I'm really glad as a police officer who works a 24hr shift pattern a 9-3 school place is little use to me.

This guidance is for critical worker children or vulnerable children. It's saying that those children should now be in school where possible, and should not be relying on anything ne in the vulnerable category to look after them instead.
It's not a free for all for everyone to get Granny in to look after the kids.

Had a quick scan of the list of workers couldn’t see construction workers on there? Unless someone can point out that I have missed it?

I am classed as a critical/essential worker though

Oh well Grandparent to the rescue again tomorrow.

A free for all to get granny in to look after the kids? Did my post come across as that's what I meant? Let me know if it did.

I'm a front line worker working shifts. DH and my child's dad are also key workers too working full time days.

We need to rely on family help to cover the gaps, I'm really glad something has finally been written down about this

@juanmorebeer which sentence are you referring to please?

I'm really confused reading that.

So both parents are in the critical worker list, have a 3yo who should have started pre-school but hasn't and a 1yo with no nursery place as they are usually looked after by grandparents. One parent has been attempting to work from home and look after both children at the same time.

Is the 3yo now supposed to be going to school while the 1yo stays at home still needing to be cared for by a parent ? Or can a young healthy grandparent now look after them?

I'm on phone it won't copy and paste. The bit put in bold by the second poster on the thread.

Point 2 in the 'critical worker' section of the document I linked.

It was updated today the 14th of May. Yesterday it did not say that bit, in fact it said nothing anywhere about children being looked after anyone other than a nanny or childminder.

@Pastabest in your case it is saying you should send 3 Yr old in when the preschool opens and yes if you needed to the youngest one could be looked after by a grandparent as long as they are healthy and under 70

Waves at fellow officer 👋

Hello pal 😀

Ooh, thank you!

Interesting that the list of critical workers looks different.