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Original poster

Grandparent childcare bubbles

29 replies

pizzaeatingmonkey · 26/02/2021 15:57

A quick one- in England.
My son & DIL use her mum for their childcare as I didn't feel happy doing it since early December 2020.
I have now been asked if I can take it up from March 8th so they can return to normal, as an addition to what her mum does. Is this legal?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 26/02/2021 15:59

No

shittingthreeeyedraven · 26/02/2021 16:01

I think so, it’s informal childcare so you can use several different people as long as you don’t socialise at the same time. I have nursery plus grandparents

Devlesko · 26/02/2021 16:03

Nurseries are open, schools will be open. I don't get why they don't use childcare Confused

tappitytaptap · 26/02/2021 16:07

Lord knows whether it’s strictly permitted or not but I know several people using more than one set of grandparents/family members as it is the way they work their childcare. We only use one, but that is due to geography more than ‘following the rules’!

sunnydaleslayer · 26/02/2021 16:07

@shittingthreeeyedraven

I think so, it’s informal childcare so you can use several different people as long as you don’t socialise at the same time. I have nursery plus grandparents
No you can only have one childcare bubble.

Nursery and grandparents is fine but you can't use two sets of grandparents.

sunnydaleslayer · 26/02/2021 16:08

@Devlesko

Nurseries are open, schools will be open. I don't get why they don't use childcare Confused
Many many many parents use grandparents for childcare. Why is that so difficult to understand?
Originalusername2021 · 26/02/2021 16:12

Everyone that I know who used both sets of grandparents for childcare before covid uses both now.

GintyMcGinty · 26/02/2021 16:16

Legal or not I would do it anyway.

Meredithgrey1 · 26/02/2021 16:17

You can technically only have one childcare bubble. But our DD goes to nursery plus grandparents. I don’t really see how that’s different/better to no nursery but both sets of grandparents (especially if the grandparents are vaccinated?)

If you or your DIL’s mum are a single person household then they could be in a support bubble with that person and a childcare bubble with the other person. And then they could use you both for childcare.

Original poster
pizzaeatingmonkey · 26/02/2021 16:18

So it is against the law? I am very surprised that so may people are risking it!

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 26/02/2021 16:37

It is not legal, no.

Many people including myself have used multiple people for childcare though because we have no other choice.

Original poster
pizzaeatingmonkey · 26/02/2021 16:38

Meredithgrey1 Not single and only one vaccinated (not the one with the heart issues).

OP posts:
Doublechins · 26/02/2021 16:48

@pizzaeatingmonkey

So it is against the law? I am very surprised that so may people are risking it!
People are 'risking it because they have no choice if they want to keep a roof over their kids head.
Frazzled2207 · 26/02/2021 17:01

officially no but it's what most families I know are doing. Plus by now in most cases grandparents are vaccinated .

BunsyGirl · 26/02/2021 17:18

We have a childcare bubble with PIL. However, we are my dad’s support bubble so he is part of our household and he looks after the children sometimes while we are working.

3littlewords · 26/02/2021 17:55

@Devlesko

Nurseries are open, schools will be open. I don't get why they don't use childcare Confused
Their work may start and finish outside of normal wrap around care at school and if they didn't have places before there may not be any additional spaces for them to take up now. My DN school always has a waiting list for after school club as its a big primary and the after school club there can only accept so many
3littlewords · 26/02/2021 18:18

OP the main question is are you comfortable enough to start being the child carer again regardless of the legality of it?
You say you stopped in Dec 2020, I assume this was because of case rises and new variants, apologies if I'm wrong. What happened pre Dec 2020? Where you and the other GP both doing the childcare then? If you were then the legal position is still the same as it was then.
When you speak of so many "risking it", do you mean the covid risk or the legal risk?

LizzieSiddal · 26/02/2021 18:22

How old is the child, if they are under 12 months the parents can have a childcare bubble and also a support bubble.

Original poster
pizzaeatingmonkey · 27/02/2021 13:06

Thanks for helping me with this: the boys are 6 ( so after school care) and two ( does nursery in the morning).
It is a real moral dilemma.
I did stop in December because of the greater risk from Covid.
Prior to December I did share childcare with co grannie, but I also wasn't living with my partner and could only see him outside on walks. So my situation has changed.

OP posts:
FuckyouBrennan · 27/02/2021 13:09

So you’ve moved in with your partner so now don’t want to help? Just say that to them.

Springingintospring · 27/02/2021 13:11

It's not legal to have more than one childcare bubble but everyone does it anyway. Including me, otherwise wouldn't be able to work.

Original poster
pizzaeatingmonkey · 27/02/2021 13:17

FuckyouBrennan I do want to help, I adore the children and really miss them.
I do feel like I'm in a Catch 22.

OP posts:
FuckyouBrennan · 27/02/2021 13:19

What is it that’s stopping you? Is the difference your DD not being able to go back to work?
I understand many of us have been put in difficult situations but we have to do what we have to do.

FuckyouBrennan · 27/02/2021 13:21

I think most children are in more than one form of childcare at the moment- be that grandparents + school/nursery / wraparound care.
I don’t think having both grandparents is any worse than doing nursery + one grandparent. Try not to worry too much, it might not be legal but if it’s the difference between keeping or loosing a job I would say it’s worth it.

Ponoka7 · 27/02/2021 13:22

My DD uses two childcare 'bubbles', me and my eldest DD, otherwise my health would suffer and that would be cpunter productive to protecting the NHS. My DD going to work isn't optional. I couldn't imagine just blindly following rules to the detriment of my family.

If the children had another parent living elsewhere, he could also have a childcare bubble, which works out the same as one person having two.

While parties etc are going on all around me and when I'm on buses I overhear the conversations about meeting up, I've no moral dilemma when what I do is essential to the wellbeing of my immediate family.