Parents with Clinically Vunerable Children

[gallbladderpain]

I know many of us will be feeling the same frustration off the back of all the news today about schools returning and getting back to normal and still feeling like the the government have not addressed these children and families circumstances.

Some of these children have been shielding for a year now because they are in at risk groups and all they ever mention is how those in the at risk groups will now be vaccinated, but they ignore the under 16's all the time.

I've seen a few on here though across various threads so maybe we can all feel that we aren't completely alone in this because it is hard right now to see when they end comes for us and our children.

Yep in that boat here CEV shielding all year, no road map what so ever for them ?

My child is not clinically vulnerable but does have severe learning disabilities and goes to a special school he hasn't been in school since Christmas and was off for all of last year's lockdown ,I do think the government forget about disabled and or clinically vulnerable children .

Completely forgotten about throughout the whole pandemic. They sent letters to them but after that they haven't had a single mention despite them spending lots of time going on about the benefits of school to children, physically and mentally but no consideration to these childrens physical or mental health.

Yes I totally agree. We are in the same boat !

CEV DS was pulled out September to homeschool after GOSH "wouldn't go against government guidance that all children should be in. Its actually worked out really well.

the all schools will open no matter what has now knocked regular schooling on the head for DD too. We are now looking at online schooling for her. She would have been worried sick she would bring it home to infect DS everytime she sat in a classroom. Funnily enough she has looked really well home Learning through the last lockdown too, I'd never have dreamed of any kind of homeschooling for her pre-pandemic

I too get mad whenever I hear them say all CEV people will have had the benefit of 1 vaccine. It simply isnt true

Actually I'm properly bricking it on the decision regarding DD. I know it's the right one, but I am worried that she will lose track of her friends. Shes only 1 &1/2 years till college so if it's all wrong she just has to stick it out until then

We haven't had an issue with schooling so far. We were supporting in keeping the child and siblings at home for remote learning via school and i don't predict any issues in this continuing. However it just doesn't make me feel better. We were aware this would go on for some time but we really thought spring would bring the light at the end of the tunnel but now it seems that actually infection rates are possibly going to be higher than ever but because the vast majority aren't getting really sick we won't do anything about that anymore so it feels like all the shielding time has been wasted in a way !
I would just love for my children to be able to go back to school and get the same enjoyment out of that as every other child and to be able to go to playparks again and do normal childhood activities but I just can't see how it can happen.

Another one with a CEV child here.
I've got a feeling we are going to be left until one of the vaccines gets approved for children to be honest.
We are going to make the most of being able to picnic in the park but other than that, I don't see what else we can do until a vaccine.

@ofwarren they will be forced to go back to school after the Easter holidays when shielding is stopped. They will say that shielding is stopped because of the progress with vaccinations and vulnerable people being protected with out even acknowledging the fact that the children are not actually protected.
They are being thrown under a bus and have wasted a year of their lives for absolutely no reason.

DrivingmeCrazy I removed my son from the school altogether to home school so that he couldn't be forced to go back. I didn't feel there was any other choice to be honest.

Same here. We arent able to have in person hospital appt to check due to covid limitations but can go back to school
As an aside as anyone any info on parenta getting the vaccination if child CEV

Are these children who have been advised to shield officially? I thought all CEV children had been reviewed and the vast majority no longer considered CEV?

My DC was removed from the shielding list last summer but we have continued to get shielding letters so I am not really sure where that leaves us but whether CEV or not, my child is more vulnerable to any illness than most other children. I totally agree that medically vulnerable children have been competely forgotten about all the way through the pandemic and I now flinch every time someone says that the vulnerable have been vaccinated. As a parent I have found it incredibly lonely as my concerns and worries have been so different from everyone I know. I had hoped the return to school would be more gradual and that the needs of vulnerable children and their families might finally be considered, but obviously not.

@CovidWorries
I got given the vaccine for that reason. Just make sure you are registered as a carer at your doctors.

A bit about clinically vulnerable pupils here
schoolsweek.co.uk/march-8-school-reopening-guidance-13-things-we-learned/

@Boph
Well that just puts us in a worse position because we have 2 children with complex needs . The youngest who is CEV is adopted the other is in long term foster care. We have kept both of them home so far despite the foster child's local authority being unhappy about it but this will mean we will have to send him because there will be no wriggle room. We can deregister the youngest but can't make that decision for the oldest so we are in an impossible position.
The eldest has the development of a toddler despite being in his teens and has no understanding of social distancing etc and requires close contact personal care so he is not able to stay safe so what happens if we send him and he brings it home to the youngest ? It is a total nightmare.

I'm not sure about the vaccine for parents, I know you can get it if you are a paid carer but what if you don't receive carer's allowance ?
To be honest for now for me it doesn't make a difference in terms of the vaccine. I've taken a career break due to working directly with the public and DC situation so we are effectively shielding alongside DC but at some stage I will need to return to work so then it would be one less risk factor but for now i'd rather it went to someone who needs it right now who can't stay at home with their CEV children.

[quote flapjackfairy]@Boph
Well that just puts us in a worse position because we have 2 children with complex needs . The youngest who is CEV is adopted the other is in long term foster care. We have kept both of them home so far despite the foster child's local authority being unhappy about it but this will mean we will have to send him because there will be no wriggle room. We can deregister the youngest but can't make that decision for the oldest so we are in an impossible position.
The eldest has the development of a toddler despite being in his teens and has no understanding of social distancing etc and requires close contact personal care so he is not able to stay safe so what happens if we send him and he brings it home to the youngest ? It is a total nightmare.[/quote]
I think a lot maybe comes down to the individual school as well ? I think it has always been the guidance that siblings should continue to attend school.
We kept ours at home and spoke with the school regarding shielding and the advice for the rest of the family to carry on as normal but to keep distance between other household members, which we felt was far more disturbing to a child and entirely unrealistic trying to avoid being close to their sibling or their parents. School agreed with absolutely no question about that, they also thought it was completely ridiculous and made no sense that if it is unsafe for a child to attend school then their siblings would just carry anything home from school to them anyway!

We have kept both of them home so far despite the foster child's local authority being unhappy about it but this will mean we will have to send him because there will be no wriggle room. We can deregister the youngest but can't make that decision for the oldest so we are in an impossible position

We are in the same position flapjackfairy. I am sorry you are having to face this too, but it does help me to know there are others out there. We too have just about persuaded the local authority to allow us to keep the foster child, who has been with us for 10 years, home up until now, where she has thrived. My husband is CEV too, as is one son (adopted), now adult is CV with major learning disabilties, and so I am worried on all fronts. Like you say we can deregister our own children from school but not the foster child, and they are now insisting the foster child goes back on 8 March. She will be in a bubble of 130 children in her year, but also mixing with children from different years on the home to school transport that is needed. After nearly a year when we have been shielding as a family, to send her back now before second doses of the vaccine are given, terrifies me. I do not know what to do and fear, as I have from the beginning, that anyone CEV will eventually become invisiable. Very little is said on the news about children or adults who are CEV....and others do not understand that shielding has now been extended (children's services most certainly don't). I feel I am risking lives should I agree to send her back to school, but I also know they would probably remove her from our care if we do refuse. Any advice would be so very welcome.

Mu CEV son is older, so classed as an adult. Hes SEN and "goes" to an appropriate college. Lockdown 1 we were just left to it. He went back for a few weeks in september bit has now been off since lockdown 2 started. And now shielding is extended again.

Its a mess.

@acrossthebrooklynbridge
It is a huge dilemma I know. In our case our foster child ( been with us 13yrs ) also has autism and challenging behaviour so it has been extremely difficult all round having him at home for so long but alongside his medical needs and learning and physical disabilities this makes him a v challenging child to care for. Basically they would massively struggle to find another placement so that has been our bargaining chip . The school have backed us up so far but legally I don't think they will be able to now after 8th March so we have to decide whether to send him and hope for the best or call their bluff and say they will need to move him then if they insist. But then there is always the fear they might actually do it and we don't want him to move as he is obviously as loved as our other children. I haven't managed to sleep yet as I am tossing it around to try and find a solution !
But yes it helps to know we are not alone. I would love to know what you decide .