Would this count as a childcare bubble?

[hellisotherpeopleandhorlicks]

I'm in London so about to go into Tier 2. I've been reading about childcare bubbles.

Currently I am self employed and just gone back after maternity leave. However I've lost my clients due to lockdown so I don't have any actual work to be doing but am spending my work time sorting my tax return and trying to pitch for new clients. My mum watches DS for two mornings a week in order for me to do this.

Would that count as a childcare bubble? Because I don't actually have pressing work IYSWIM although I do need to find work which is what I am using the time to do. She would continue to do the same mornings she has done, and watch DS downstairs while I'm upstairs. I think this is exactly what a childcare bubble is but DH thinks it's not the right criteria because my work is flexible and not 9-5 so I could potentially work while DS is in bed.

Yes its informal childcare it doesn't matter what the reason is why you need the childcare. You need to be consistent with who is in your childcare bubble though you can't change it to a different member of the family to provide the childcare the day after. At least that's how I understand it anyway.

Yes it counts.

I don't think it matters if eg Tuesdays your mum looks after them and Thursdays your sister does.

Thank you, that's how I understood it, so as long as it's always Mum so therefore just our two households and only for childcare reasons, not for strolling into town together etc, then we should be ok to continue

It’s a childcare bubble. There’s nothing in the rules about childcare bubbles only existing for the purposes of work. So, if you wanted to go shopping, get your hair done, go out with your DH etc. your mum could provide childcare.

Just found out that mum is going to be tier 1 while we are tier 2
Does anyone known if a childcare bubble is allowed across tiers?

I believe that across tiers you follow the highest tier's guidance, so any given activity is OK unless it is banned in one or both of the tiers.

If in a Tier 2 (high) area:
The following people can provide childcare support in private homes and gardens:

registered childcare providers, including nannies
people in your support bubble
people in your childcare bubble
A childcare bubble is where someone in one household provides informal (unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household. For any given childcare bubble, this must always be between the same 2 households.

Friends or family who do not live with you and are not part of a support or childcare bubble must not visit your home to help with childcare. Childcare bubbles are to be used to provide childcare only, and not for the purposes of different households mixing where they are otherwise not allowed to do so.

You can do so for child care but it must be the same two households only. I would query that you are mixing 3 households

We are only mixing two, ours and my mum and dad so it sounds like we are okay