Non resident parent awaiting test - can my children come home?

[Oldname]

I'm a single parent and have been counting down the days to my children coming hone. They went to their dads on 27th and we're supposed to be gone today.
Today their dad has 'developed' a cough and been for a test. He won't allow the children to come home while awaiting the result.
I live alone and could isolate with the children.
I've struggled to find the specific rule around this - has anyone been in a similar situation and found the right advice please?

How upsetting for you. I don't think there is specific advice. We had DSS come to us as normal when he was mid isolation (though that was from a school contact, not his mum), but he's a teenager only too happy to stay in his room all the time soon there didn't seem to be much risk to us from that. We didn't have much choice either as his mum just declared that that's what would happen. Technically I don't think your children are supposed to leave the house until their dad gets his results back, and looking at it rationally, that's probably the best thing to do, to avoid your own risk of catching it. Hopefully he'll test negative and hear tomorrow.

I would wait, OP. If your ex has covid, the last thing your children need is for you both to be ill at the same time.m

I agree with @Isthatitnow.

I understand you want to see your children but it really would be better to wait for a negative result first.

If they brought it home to you and you became really ill, and he also became really ill, who would look after the children if the worst were to happen?

Tests have been coming back in 24-48 hours .. though no idea if increase in cases is affecting that.

I would wait. If he has covid you are better waiting it out

He should have a result tomorrow or the next day. I'd just wait.

There is no rule against custody exchange of children under such circumstances precisely to avoid someone like your ex using it to flex their control and the resulting usage of police and court time.

Travel is permitted for the purposes of delivering essential care. In the first lockdown it was made most clear that contact and exchanges should continue to take place.

I would go and get your kids asap as they'll be more difficult to extract from him should he receive a positive test.

It wouldn't be illegal for them to return

But the right thing is for them to stay put and not travel at all whilst in isolation