Can childcare bubble stay overnight?

[Notabadger]

Had a search but can't find an existing thread.

My parents help with childcare. I think they can still come to the house to do this whilst I'm working in lockdown. It is very difficult for them to get here early so usually they stay overnight the night before.

Is this allowed still? Neither of us are in a bubble with anyone else. Can't be a support bubble as my parents are a two person household and we are two adults.

Bump

Looking at the gov website guidelines no this is not allowed. Overnight stays are banned with a list of exemptions that includes support bubbles but doesn’t mention childcare bubbles in the exemptions.

Not sure, but my mother in law is doing this. It says informal child care is allowed, the rules don’t specify the hours it’s allowed for in the day. I interpret that as being okay.

childcare by gp might be necessary overnight or on shifts - I think that's what Boris was thinking especially for NHS staff
Some of the wording in the advice is as clear as mud

What additional risk would overnight stays create? Surely it reduces risk as the person providing childcare wouldn't need to travel more...?

I would say yes. What if you were a nurse working a night shift?

Not sure whether it’s ‘allowed’ or not but I and several others I know are doing it

I don’t think it is allowed in fact I don’t think they are supposed to be in the house at the same time as you. Having said that I would do my own risk assessment and make my own decision.

Thanks for the replies.
I agree I don't think it creates an extra risk, but my parents like to abide by the rules.

I do a day time office job, so they wouldn't be performing the childcare overnight (although maybe I should use this as justification for them dealing with the baby's night wakings! )

I do feel for the people having to draft the regulations as everyone's childcare/family/work situation is so different

What about if grandparents provide care whilst you work from home? My parents come to my house whilst I work in my office

But they are not providing childcare over night. If you were out working that's one thing. But unless they are providing childcare they shouldn't be in your house.

They are only allowed in your house when they are actually providing childcare.

If they can't get to your house early enough for you to leave for work, then I would have thought it was allowed. They're not doing it to babysit, they are doing to to (I presume) avoid an awkward bus journey.

What about if grandparents provide care whilst you work from home? My parents come to my house whilst I work in my office

I think this is fine - one of the aims of the childcare bubble is to enable to you to keep working, and of course many people’s work will be at home now, so I think you’re using it exactly as it’s intended.

Would like to know the answer about overnight stays within childcare bubble too OP, I suspect they don’t want to ‘encourage’ it in case people use it as a reason to stay over, but if it’s genuinely necessary in order for your parents to provide childcare I think it would be ok. (As in- if your Mum lived down the road and could go home really but just wanted to stay- it might not be ok- but if she lived further and it would be too far a journey to do in one day, then I think ok).

Do they both need to come? It's probably more sensible for only one of them to come.

Wonderful, let's encourage more usage of public transport and create more instances of people coming into contact with each other, rather than allowing those providing childcare to stay overnight with only the people in their bubble.

I would say they really shouldn't stay, unless they're actually providing childcare so you can work overnight. However it's up to you and if it meant you would have no childcare in the morning then I'd allow it, but for childcare reasons only.
Why is it so difficult for them to just come to your house early? My childcare provider comes at 5.30am some mornings and will stay til 11.30 at night if necessary

on repeat on repeat
Boris was aware that some people do shifts or awkward hours - the family child care may need to work round them & support them
I bet you have overnight nannies too
& it depends on distance & time starting
As pp state = I have images of police looking at this (especially if THEY have dc & they do do awkward shifts & they are dependent on gp/family care) & thinking "arg!"
Its a bubble for goodness sake & its continuity of care! What the guidance does state is it isn't about play dates or baby sitting.

No.

No mixing unless for working purposes. Sleepovers are pretty high risk unless you are sleeping outside in 1c. I don't think anyone should be doing it, 3 weeks and a few days that is all it is, wait until the infection rates have dropped. You are setting a poor example to the children if you are just going to ignore the rules, I would not be impressed to be put in the position of my child being invited to something we can't say yes to either!

as for both gp if one doesn't drive...

This is our dilemma too.

We used to rely on gp 1-2 days per week. They would stay overnight the night before as dh and me leave really early. (Before breakfast clubs etc).

We have just about managed without needing them so far, would prefer not to if possible due to their age, but would be interested in some clarity, especially if dh needs to start working away again soon.

If it means they can’t come and you can’t work if they don’t, I do not think the rules prohibit it specifically.

Ah re read rules re family childcare support bubble -it does state one family connecting to one other NOT one individual - so both grandparents but you can't share care with the other grandparents - basically you have to choose which set
God its so convoluted!

“Why is it so difficult for them to just come to your house early? My childcare provider comes at 5.30am some mornings and will stay til 11.30 at night if necessary”

With us, one gp used to stay because they lived 2 hours away. The other gp didn’t like night driving.

But anyway...we are hoping to be able to keep managing without needing them, as this is the safest option. It won’t be the case for everyone though.

Mine are staying overnight. Live 2hrs away and I leave for work at 7. Not making them travel that early and then back again late night 2 days a week for however long this lasts when they are in my house all day anyway looking after DC. Cant see its prohibited so we are carrying on. It's that or I dont go to work so...!