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Original poster

Would you send your dc to their childminder if one of the CM's own children had been told to isolate?

36 replies

babyguffingtonstrikesagain · 27/09/2020 15:27

CM's child has been told to isolate as someone in his class has tested positive. CM has said that he will not have contact with any of her mindees (presumably he will stay in his room) but would you send your dc?

OP posts:
swashbucklecheer · 27/09/2020 15:29

Probably not. How could they guarantee their own child will isolate. Would bathroom facilities and kitchens not be shared?

FromTheAshes · 27/09/2020 15:37

I would. Childminders have had an extremely hard time of it with very little govt or financial support during and post lockdown. They have to meet stringent criteria for safety, perform strict risk assessments and they genuinely care about the safety of their mindees. All it would take is one mindee to develop a cough but not be able to get a test and they'd have to clear their doors - and lose all income - for 14 days. It is in their own interests to ensure their own self isolating child is completely separate from their mindees. Mine has separate toilet facilities, and I can't see the child using the kitchen themselves anyway, surely the childminder would be doing the meal prep etc.

FromTheAshes · 27/09/2020 15:38

^close their doors. Gotta love auto correct.

PotteringAlong · 27/09/2020 15:38

Yes. Because I couldn’t afford to take 2 weeks off work Incase I / them have to isolate in the future.

AvoidingRealHumans · 27/09/2020 15:43

Depends how old their child was, 12 years old then yes probably because there'd be more guarantee they would stay out of the way. Reception- year 3 age then no as going on my own child he wouldn't stay upstairs or whatever and I would need to see to him.

Char2015 · 27/09/2020 15:46

I personally wouldn't send them.
I surprised there hasn't been any guidance about this. If someone is isolating in a home for being a close contact- surely people that don't live there regardless of reason for isolation shouldn't enter the home.

Lumene · 27/09/2020 16:15

Not if their child was in the same house - that wouldn’t be self-isolation.

Littered5 · 27/09/2020 16:20

Realistically this is going to be never ending. So if your jobs at steak and you and the child minder are happy...

RepeatSwan · 27/09/2020 16:25

If I had another option, no, but I would maybe try to pay them something. They didn't have to tell you so they've been decent doing that?

Fluffalo · 27/09/2020 16:29

Mine has said if this happens she will not be able to have DS, but she will also not charge as she won't be able to provide the service (but if we had to isolate we would still have to pay as she is still open, we just cannot access the service)- so evens out really. I'm also surprised no formal guidance has been released on this, if someone in the household had a positive test then obviously that would be a definite no for me, and hopefully for a childminder if they're being responsible. For an 'in case' if I could not send them and not suffer financially etc then I would not send them, I accept the decision is a lot harder if you will financially suffer etc from keeping them home. Even if they have no contact, they have been living in the home of course and there is a risk, that said there is nothing to say they actually have it. I would phone them and talk it through, see what they say and what you think.

Maskedcrusader · 27/09/2020 16:32

Yes I would still send them. There is only so much time we can take off work.

MJMG2015 · 27/09/2020 16:32

I don't know.

It would depend on several things including the age of their child, whether the 'positive child' was just 'in the class' or their best mate & how well I thought the CM would be able to keep her child & the mindees separate

I would continue to pay her unless I had to take unpaid leave & even then I'd pay her something.

It's decent of the CM to tell parents so I'd dodge best I could by her

2anddone · 27/09/2020 16:47

I am a Cm and I work out of a cabin in my garden so mindees do not enter my house at all. I have sent letters to my parents to say if my dc (teenagers) have to isolate then I will let them know and they can decide if they send their dc or not. If they decide not to I would charge half fee as still offering to open. If I had to isolate I would not charge as unable to provide the service and if any of my mindees had to isolate I would charge full fee as my service is still available.
Thank you ThanksThanksto previous posters for showing their childminders support. It's lovely to read this after months of feeling undervalued by the Government with very limited financial help available Thanks

Bottl · 27/09/2020 17:27

I'm a Cm in wales and the guidance we've been given is that we can stay open if the family member self isolating can be separate whilst there are children are here.
I have agreed half fees with my families if they or I have to self-isolate and after already having to put this into practise for two children this month, I can already see it's going to be a tough winter financially.

StatisticalSense · 27/09/2020 17:30

It's quite clearly not permitted if you have other options as the NHS state:
do not have visitors in your home, including friends and family – except for essential care (www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/nhs-test-and-trace-if-youve-been-in-contact-with-a-person-who-has-coronavirus/)
I suppose it could be classed as essential if you are working and don't have other options.

NotAKaren · 27/09/2020 17:35

One of my DCs is isolating and I have not invited anyone else inside our home. We have all been extremely careful about our contacts just in case.

StellaGib · 27/09/2020 17:35

Essentially the childminders children and the minded children are one “household” - and if the child is isolating due to someone at school then the rest of the household should continue as normal.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 27/09/2020 17:58

No, I wouldn’t. Too high a risk for me.

Yetiyoga · 27/09/2020 18:04

@RepeatSwan If I had another option, no, but I would maybe try to pay them something
You should pay her full fees. If she is open and you choose not to send then it isn't 'try to pay them something' but pay them full.

Willyoujustbequiet · 27/09/2020 18:04

No chance

Threeisnotacrowd · 27/09/2020 18:05

Yes I would.

Any perceived risk in that situation is minuscule and far less than everyone faces every time they set foot outside the house

Threeisnotacrowd · 27/09/2020 18:06

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

No, I wouldn’t. Too high a risk for me.
Really?

What do you perceive the risk to be here? And how is it higher than sending a kid to school?

Beebeeboo2 · 27/09/2020 18:06

No

Original poster
babyguffingtonstrikesagain · 27/09/2020 18:31

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was hoping there might be a clear consensus but it looks like it's pretty much 50:50!

I think we're going to go with NOT sending them, as it's fairly straightforward for DH to do school pick-up and WFH for the rest of the day.

OP posts:
Original poster
babyguffingtonstrikesagain · 27/09/2020 18:33

Not sure what will happen about payment though. I assume we'll still pay. Her covid policy didn't specify what would happen in this scenario...

OP posts: