Private nursery

[Mozfan]

Will they open in January or are we thinking it’s unlikely? One of us is a key worker, the other one isn’t.

@Scottishskifun i understand your point but it is impossible for nursery workers/childcarers to socially distance from the many toddlers in their care.

If nurseries had to close the government could step in to provide fees, furlough staff and furlough the parents on leave.

I really doubt nurseries/childminders will be told to close even in the light of the new very transmissible strains that affect young people more than the original.

Let's hope they stay open. It isn't all about the key workers. All of us working from home are also contributing to an economy on its knees. And how will furlough payments and healthcare workers actually be paid if we don't work to pay taxes?!

Yes all you work from home parents stay safe just send your children in to us so staff can be put at risk. Sadly boris doesn't care about us minions we can just be the cannon fodder.

Nursery should only be open to those who physically can not work from home such as healthcare and other industries where you have to be physically present to do the job.

And last time our nursery did not charge fees to children who could not attend which is of course how it should be.

Private nursery said they wouldn’t close even if state did.

I hope this is the case!

@Ilovegreentomatoes with all due respect. And I have respect for the people who look after my children. Would you stay at home if you weren't being paid? How would you feed your family?

@MarshaBradyo if the government impose a national lockdown private nurseries will have to close as well or they will be breaking the law.

For those that think the key worker rules aren't fair tho I don't think the idea is that you work with the toddler at home I think they just mean that if you don't fulfil a keyworker role then your employer will have some understanding to give you some time off as the lesser important roles can stop temporarily?

We’ll see Green but many won’t pay so private businesses will suffer unless they get pay out.

[quote DfEisashambles]@Scottishskifun i understand your point but it is impossible for nursery workers/childcarers to socially distance from the many toddlers in their care.

If nurseries had to close the government could step in to provide fees, furlough staff and furlough the parents on leave.[/quote]
Except that's not what happens the parents are told to get on with it or in Scotland follow parent club which suggests working in the corner of the room so you can keep an eye on your child at the same time. Nurseries are given bare minimum support and then expected to pay a percentage of furlough for their staff.

We are extremely lucky that our LA and private nursery allows for 1 key worker to get a space and has plenty of capacity in the bubbles of 8

Nobody says supermarket workers shouldn't go to work and should all be furloughed and they are by far a greater risk than nurseries! Because food is essential just like education is essential and yes nursery is educational!

@Ilovegreentomatoes

Nursery should only be open to those who physically can not work from home such as healthcare and other industries where you have to be physically present to do the job.

Do you think wfh having a toddler is easy ? I was lucky my husband was wfh and so was I and he was allowed to changes his working hours. Needing to have meetings with clients when your 2yo needs your attention is not good for the client nor your child’s development

Why would nurseries shut if schools are open?

@Scottishskifun that’s all fine but please do not say supermarket workers (who are at risk as are people who have to work go on public transport etc) are at the same level of risk as being so very close to young children spluttering all over them, climbing on them, sitting on their laps. Close physical contact with a group that has been identified to be a major carrier.

Nurseries/childminders won’t be closing. It’s extremely unlikely but it is very telling the attitude towards nursery workers safety and teachers safety. The government agrees with your reasoning so no need to worry.

I don’t know what the answer is but as a currently ft wfh employee with a full workload (university lecturer, new cohort of 300 students Jan, training keyworkers actually so quite useful although I’m not considered a keyworker myself) and an NHS keyworker husband. The thought of another period of time looking after a toddler, homeschooling a 7 year old and trying to do my job 24/7 makes me feel physically sick. I won’t be able to do it, it almost broke me last time. DH or I would have to resign, only we can’t afford for one of us to not work so we would just keep going until one of us had a mental breakdown.

Does my mental health trump the physical health of the people who look after my children? Obviously not but Covid is really not the only issue to be taken into consideration here.

[quote DfEisashambles]@Scottishskifun that’s all fine but please do not say supermarket workers (who are at risk as are people who have to work go on public transport etc) are at the same level of risk as being so very close to young children spluttering all over them, climbing on them, sitting on their laps. Close physical contact with a group that has been identified to be a major carrier.[/quote]
No supermarket workers are at greater risk due to the number of adults who fail to understand socially distancing, attend supermarkets either with symptoms or with positive cases and the greatest risk is actually from adult spreaders not children.
This has been proven by researchers and they are now investigating the new strain but the younger the child the less chance they spread to an adult hence in Scotland social distancing between children under 12 and adults isn't required. This isn't Scotland being nice to grandparents is backed up by research.

Also most nurseries now have a large percentage of the day outside in a well ventilated area compared to poorly ventilated supermarket!

As I’ve said - it shouldn’t be between who is more important between who. It’s wrong on all levels and unfair.

@Carrotcakey at least you acknowledge your mental health isn’t priority over someone else’s life or their families lives.

A solution needs to be made from the government for this type of situation to be fair on miserly paid nursery workers and parents who are at breaking point with childcare issues.

It’s unlikely to happen anyway.

@Scottishskifun you are fully deluded. Please go spend a day with a nanny, childminder or nursery to see the reality of social distancing with babies and toddlers.

Hope not. Me and DH are both key workers (teacher and NHS) so we have to have childcare available. My DS will also be devastated if he can no longer play with his friends. Social development for young children is so important, we can’t take another 4 month hit on it.

@Scottishskifun have you heard about who are the greatest spreaders of covid strains now? I suggest you read the papers

Nursery workers are paid an absolute pittance too with heaps of responsibility.

Unless the government fund us properly for the closure time - we will not be taking the children of key workers. We literally couldn’t afford to

Last time we opened for 5 children - meaning 5 people paying fees instead of 45! We had to pay the staff who worked in full obviously and the cleaner had to be there to do all the extra cleaning!
Got ourselves into some serious debt!

If this happens again I think that’s the end of the line for the nursery sadly.

We never had a single case of Covid in the nursery - so closing is seems extreme

I dont want us to close either..its been nice getting back to normal as can be and having the children back again!