Travel to stay with parents/ childcare bubble

[Nextyearwillbefun]

Do you think I can travel to see my parents and stay over and claim childcare bubble? Looking at after 12th April, or will I have to pay for self catering accommodation or can I claim childcare bubble if I'm stopped? I'm going one way or another!

How can it be a childcare bubble if you have to travel? I thought the idea of a childcare bubble was to enable parents to work? If you don't actually need your parents to help with childcare, then you cannot claim this, no.

Or are you talking about support bubbles for people with babies under 1? I guess that would be allowed.

A childcare bubble is not to be used for socialising purposes. Your children can go, however you cannot. (Unless you was going in to pick them up) but not overnight as far as I know.

Guidelines say it's best to be local but not essential..... no mention of work. I'm not sure whether to risk it or book self catering accommodation. Were all vaccinated and parents will have had both...

There’s nothing in the legislation that says childcare needs to be for work however it doesn’t allow for staying overnight (you) as far as I’m aware.
How old is your child? If under 1 then you are entitled to bubble with another household.

Thanks @molibu that settles it. Will have to pay for self catering I think. Dont want to get fined!

I’d just stay over tbh!!

@wingingthis I'm tempted! My children will want to stay over and my parents want them too.... we will test before we go.... just dont want to get caught!

Not allowed, no. Childcare bubbles the adults can't socialise or stay overnight. But I would go anyway, especially if you're testing before you go.

Just go and stay with them. Who’s going to catch you?

If you want to do it according to the rules, you need to stay in self catered accommodation and see your parents outside only with social distancing. Childcare bubbles are for childcare only and not for adult socialising.

Thanks, I'm scared of getting stopped by police- I know sounds silly...

How will the police know? Assuming that the 12 April relaxation goes ahead, people will be allowed to travel and stay overnight (in sc accommodation only) so on what basis would they stop you? Personally I would follow the rules, but if that's your only concern I'd say it's pretty unlikely to happen.

In fact travel will be allowed from 29 march (just without overnight stays permitted) when the "stay at home" rule officially ends.

I have an under 1 yer old so have bubbled with my parents. Dd1 (3) has stayed over their house a few times. Never been stopped, never had an issue.

My daughter is at boarding school 6 hours away, but my parents live quite close by to her. I drove down this weekend, stayed overnight at theirs, dropped DD at school, drove home. The risks of not staying over, thus driving for 12 hours non-stop, are far greater than the tiny risks that we were asymptotic carriers of a disease that only 0.5 % of people in my area have, & spreading it my (vaccinated) parents.

Stupid rules, go and do it!

I think I would risk if if I'm honest! But I'm prepared to be told I'm wrong

If you and your children need to see your parents because of your mental health then go and stay with them.

You won’t get stopped by the police and if you do how will they know you plan to stay overnight?

We stayed over at my in-laws this weekend around 100 miles away as we were helping them to move house, they are vaccinated and we did a test before we went no different to them coming Into contact with removal people/tradesmen. Regardless of what people say the police aren’t just routinely stopping people. So many people in real life are now staying with family and visiting indoors. Once rules are relaxed about staying local/essential travel which happens on the 29th the police won’t be stopping people anyway.

My parents stayed overnight with me for several weeks during the lockdown so I could work. Of course it's allowed. They live hours away, what were they going to do, sleep in their car? My brother is a police officer enforcing the covid rules and he would have told me off if it was wrong.

Thanks everyone good to know, I thought they might do routine stops to check about self catering accommodation but I'm tempted to go and stay.

You should definitely just go and not worry about it at all !

Why follow the rules when a bunch of people on mumsnet tell you they are stupid hey?

Haha @sleepwouldbenice I think you misunderstood I'm going to see my parents and stay there regardless but wasnt sure if I should book accommodation. I was asking for advice.

@Hollywhiskey

My parents stayed overnight with me for several weeks during the lockdown so I could work. Of course it's allowed. They live hours away, what were they going to do, sleep in their car? My brother is a police officer enforcing the covid rules and he would have told me off if it was wrong.

But surely this isn't within the rules at all unless you've formed a unique support bubble either with a single person, lone parent or child under 1??

@Yorkie127 well I've quit my job now so my mum wouldn't have to travel to bubble with me since the third lockdown. I'm not sure I will be able to get back into the workplace properly until my youngest starts school. Cheers covid.