When the shielding group was created in order to protect the clinically extremely vulnerable I feared that when life began to return to the "new normal" their needs would be ignored. And I feel that with the children returning to school next month that fear has become reality.
I have posted on here about schools using previous usernames, but have not received any response other than quite unpleasant assumptions being made about us, or frequently told to "just get on with it". Should say we have remained totally at home since mid March, only seeing our adult children and grandchildren whilst socially distancing in the garden. I am starting a new thread in the hope it gets noticed and hoping I receive advice on what to do.
Should also say I have every sympathy for working parents, the need for most children to return to school, the financial issues so many are facing, business owners trying to keep going, mental health issues and the health and safety of the teachers.
My family and I have been shielding to protect my husband. We have never asked for any help/benefits from anyone during this time. We have been lucky enough to work from home as foster carers, and also lucky that all children (including our own) have responded really well to online schooling and adapted really well - I am so proud of them. Now of course shielding has been paused, although my husband's doctors have advised him to continue to shield. And the schools go back...
I have not been aware of any statement regarding people in our situation as the shielding group no longer formally exists.
So we have 5 senior school children, all in different "bubbles" at school each with 150 others. In fact there are three seperate schools involved here, all operating on different systems. But what I consider to be the most difficult part is the journey home on the school bus mixing with many others. And this is where most people think I am being ridiculous - I am truly scared. Two of the childen have special needs and I am also nervous they will not be able to comply with safety rules (though I am sure the school staff will help).
The obvious answer to protect my husband would be to withdraw the children from school and continue to home school them. However, although this is possible with my children, it is not possible to do this with the foster children as the local authority have parental responsibility. The foster children, currently happy and healthy, are in their mid teens and have been with us since they were toddlers, so any change in placement would be cruel and cannot be considered. Obviously children's services expect them to attend school as normal in September, and are not open to any discussion about it. Also, on a purely practical level, of course we would lose our job is we did not do as they ask.
We have no choice therefore (and I realise there are many millions of other people in situations where they also have no choice) but feel we could be literally risking my husband's life (and again I know there are millions in worse and more dangerous situations than ours). I know it sounds dramatic, and I probably am being unreasonable and selfish, but I am frightened and am asking for advice other than "just get on with it".
Thank you in advance for any replies.