Shops, schools... Childcare

[HunterHearstHelmsley]

Its looking as though most shops will open up on the 15th, with car showrooms on the 1st. How is this going to work with childcare? I can't imagine that somewhere like a car showroom has enough staff to furlough whilst also having enough staff in. Same goes for a small shop.

I'm sure this has been done before but I'm baffled.

@LST I think many will do the same not all grandparents are over 70, shielding or vulnerable. I would do the same too if I could.

My mum is furloughed until September and is under 60. My dad has worked throughout lockdown and they live over the road! It just makes sense to be.. I hope I am acting with 'integrity'

@Lexyloub - sorry about that.

Friend heard last week that at her company they are cutting a third of jobs. It is a small company and they have to ‘rationalise’; they are combining job roles. She is in line for the chop and fears that now she is 50 she will not get another job at that level again.

Boris, Rishi and someone like Jenrick are going to have to front a presser and just lay it out. People aren't reading between the lines, so they need to spell out the projected impact to the economy, how many lives will be lost as a result due to increased morbidity including suicide, the financial impact on the NHS and increased morbidity there (e.g. cuts to care) and the impending collapse of the property market.

Lay it out, then say that this isn't happening and we open in 10 days time. No furlough for those who refuse to work. Sickness benefit for those genuinely shielding.

This country will be broke otherwise so they are simply going to have to be blunt and force the reopening.

Parents are going to end up leaving the workforce because patience will run out.

And when I say parents, we all know I mean mothers.

And when I say parents, we all know I mean mothers.

Yep. That. ⬆️

I'm also on the networker thread. Two teacher parents, kids can go to their school but because of staggered drop-offs my two DC of different ages can only be there 9.15 -3.00. Private provider of wraparound not able to open, live in a small village with no childminders. Many childminders have been told by local authorities that they can't take children who are also attending another setting.

DH and I have commutes to our own schools. Currently my school has managed to put a TA without childcare issues in my bubble to cover times when I can't be there about that's not fair long-term.

There are going to have to be more ad-hoc arrangements which will mean we need to turn a blind eye to Ofsted registration requirements.

keyworker thread

But pics you haven't mentioned the issue of those who can't go to work because they have nobody to look after their children. Should they all just lose their jobs?

@dippy that may end up being a horrible reality and another devastating affect from this pandemic. Some employers may be able to offer long term unpaid leave but many wont as its having an adverse effect on the workplace. If people can't fulfill there contracted hours long term then they will need to give up their positions.

Interested to know what people think should happen ? What are the alternatives?

The Gov need to decide how to refine their guidelines. All well and good saying send the kids back to school. However, following their guidelines for schools we can only accommodate

Mass unemployment of parents is hardly going to boost the economy.

Spain is introducing minimum basic income. Perhaps we need to see something like that for those unable to return to work.

But pics you haven't mentioned the issue of those who can't go to work because they have nobody to look after their children. Should they all just lose their jobs

I completely agree, that mustn't be allowed to occur. Such a situation would fall most heavily on the shoulders of women - including those working mothers enployed in the school and childcare industries. Part of opening up must include that schools and wrap around care need to reopen and that's all there is to it. Providers return to work or no pay. Period. Childcare furlough will need to remain for a transitional period whilst all opens - but this should only be for those whose school/childcare refuses to open (and will lose funding) or who have children who are genuinely shielding.

I hear again and again, what about the NHS? What about deaths? Isn't life worth more than money? Of course it is. However the fact is that money is what keeps life going. Money for food, for shelter, for taxes towards the NHS, and towards benefits for the less fortunate.

There won't be an NHS or a social security system if this country goes broke, so handwringing over NHS and deaths really isn't taking into account the medium term and permanent effects of lockdown. The economy isn't just "money", it's food, chemo, clean water. The "economy" is life, itself.

Return to work, or don't get paid. Public sector too. Otherwise this country will perish and its vulnerable will perish with it.

A one off cash payment to child benefit accounts would be one efficient way to temporarily address issues experienced by parents in caring for children as we transition out of lockdown.

Like furlough, some would go towards those who didn't "need" it, but overall it would be a low admin direct interim measure. Any excess would be spent back into the economy which could help stimulate local business.

I've thought long and hard about that problem, and I've come to the conclusion the rich men (with stay-at-home wives and/or nannies) and handful of rich women (with nannies) who set the rules simply don't give a toss about the rest of us: those who can work, will, and those who can't... will get screwed. Or should just "think creatively"/"use their common sense"/[insert random reality-detached mangerial sound-bite]

I guess laid off mums can always start their own work-from-home sex-cam business or something

A one off cash payment to child benefit accounts would be one efficient way to temporarily address issues experienced by parents in caring for children as we transition out of lockdown.

How would that help if there is no childcare to spend the money on? Or is it meant to offset loss of earnings? If you’re then out of work longer term because you had to take unpaid leave in a downturn and fell victim to redundancy it won’t go very far.

For my part, the childcare provider for my school age child is the school. Wraparound is run by the TAs, so threats of not getting paid won’t help. As it is they’ve reduced the provision for key workers children because of Y1 and Y6 retuning (they aren’t opening up Reception). They’re no longer doing Wednesdays at all.

Wraparound is run by the TAs, so threats of not getting paid won’t help

Not sure what you mean by that.

Most wraparound is provided by externals coming into a school or by TAs to supplement their income. The problem is not enough staff to cope with the bubble option

I was referring to PicsInRed’s comment about ‘forcing’ childcare to reopen/workers to return from furlough or no pay. Though frankly I wouldn’t want anyone looking after my kids if they didn’t want to be there.

I’m aware of the challenge the school faces. As I say, it’s moot for me as give they’re not even letting Reception back, I can’t see Y3 back before September. I’m trying to prepare DS1 for this but he’s crushed at the suggestion (despite the Head’s platitudes around how ‘resilient’ kids are, my eldest is really struggling.)

But when will we be allowed to visit family? Soon I’m going to be able to going to shopping centre, take a test drive, buy a new car, go round the market, sent children to school/nursery and meet one person in a park but cannot meet my parents even at 2 metres distance?