Childminder not following covid guidelines

[Rainydaize]

I have 2 daughters who both go to the same childminder. Dd2 had a positive test but the childminder refused to take dd1 stating that there were vulnerable children in the setting and they could be investigated if more children caught covid.
They are both therefore isolating. Dd1 had a negative result at the same time dd2 had a positive so I thought she would be fine to go in.
I was then asked to do another PCR on dd1 so she could go back in, but this has come back positive. I spoke to test and trace and they have said that she should isolate from the start of symptoms (when she got her negative test) and to assume the negative was a false negative. This would mean she could go back to the childminder on the same day as originally planned.
The childminder has called a helpline apparently and has now asked for ten more days isolation from the date of a positive test.

I'm self employed and will really struggle to work if I have to do another ten days isolation with dd. (They are both pre schoolers).

My dp isn't around, we separated over lockdown due to dv, so it's taken a long time for me to finally try and get my life back and this has just really stressed me out. I've had to cancel so much work already without the girls being allowed in, and I'm already trying to save every penny I can for a decent Xmas for them.

All of this doesn't sit right with me because it's going against the guidelines but I know I've got a lot of personal stuff going on too so aibu to wonder why they can't be going in?
What should I do?

Did dd1 actually have symptoms?
When did they start?
I dont blame the childminder tbh
How long was it between the 2 PCR tests?
If dd1 was tested without symptoms then the isolation starts from the positive test

We got new guidelines in scotland the other day. We don't have to take any children if someone in their household has covid. To be perfectly honest we don't have to do anything we don't want to do as we are our own bosses, but that was the guidelines given out. Not sure if England will be the same.

Guidelines are just that OP, they're not law.

I'm not really sure about England's guidelines (assuming that's where you are) as I'm in Scotland and ours are different but I completely agree with your childminder.

Your DD is still testing positive. Did DD1 actually have symptoms when she tested negative or did you just test her because DD2 did? Only you've said that at that point you've assumed she would have been okay to go in, if she had symptoms surely you would have kept her off since you had DD2 isolating anyway?

Regardless, your childminder can do whatever they like. I can't imagine the parents of the other kids would be happy if they found out there was children testing positive for Covid also there.

Obviously it's not ideal for you work wise, but there isn't really much that can be done. She will need to be off until she tests negative

Bit how could test and trace know when symptoms started if she's not showing any? You can't take her isolation period from the date of her negative test because jt was negative at that point so who knows when she actually caught covid. If she didn't have symptoms and you were doing tests then I suppose you will have to go from the date of her positive test.
As a childminder, I would tell you the same.

Yes she had symptoms, they both did at the same time. One positive and one negative. Then a few days later the positive one came through.

She doesn't need to be off until she tests negative. In fact she shouldn't test again for 90 days after a positive test as it can pick up fragments of the old infection and show positive even when she is no longer contagious

It's the childminders setting and their decision at the end of the day.

The childminder can’t break the law but she can come up with own rules which it sounds like she is doing.

@dementedpixie she doesn't need to be under the guidelines - but as OP has said, they're not following the guidelines. They are perfectly within their rights not to take a child until they've tested negative if that's what they choose to do

That's the thing, she did have symptoms but was negative so I thought she would be OK to be in. We kept her at home because the childminder was uneasy, and asked to retest.
When we retested it came back positive. Test and trace say its from the start of symptoms not the test.

I do get parents might be unhappy if they knew but now there is no way of knowing if she's infectious.

Also our local school is riddled with covid atm, I don't think parents realise how much (my friend is friends with the head) but there are twins going in where the other is at home. I just thought that's how it was now and that's the risk parents take?

Your Childminder can set her own rules, she's self employed. I think she's doing the right thing, why on earth should she risk her health & that of her other mindees?

I'm sorry their Dad is no help (& an abusuve twunt) but I'm afraid you're just going to have to do what work you can around them being at home. That's life when you've small ones.

Ok so I'm hearing now the part about her not taking dd1 whilst we thought she was negative.

Now the bit I need to try and work out is when she can go back in. Originally I was told this was when she had a repeat negative pcr. She had symptoms, so ten days past then? What if I'm asked to do ten days past a positive test?

I think I've let dp get in my head a bit with it as I tried to talk to him and he told me to get it sorted.

@Rainydaize

That's the thing, she did have symptoms but was negative so I thought she would be OK to be in. We kept her at home because the childminder was uneasy, and asked to retest. When we retested it came back positive. Test and trace say its from the start of symptoms not the test.

I do get parents might be unhappy if they knew but now there is no way of knowing if she's infectious.

Also our local school is riddled with covid atm, I don't think parents realise how much (my friend is friends with the head) but there are twins going in where the other is at home. I just thought that's how it was now and that's the risk parents take?

The fact you don't know if she's infectious though is why the childminder doesn't want her back in just now.

That's not "just how it is" at all - why should parents have to take that risk just to send their children to school/childminder? It isn't a holiday where it's optional. Of course there's always going to be a chance of catching it, but that chance should be minimised as much as possible, which is exactly what your childminder is trying to do

Sorry cross posted - you'll need to check with your childminder if they'll take her back 10 after the positive test or if after 10 days, they'll want you test again and need it to be negative. As they're going by their rules, only they'll know what they need for her to go back in

Test and trace should confirm the date that isolation ends - at least they did for us. From what you've said here though, I'd say it's 10 days from the date of her positive PCR result (sorry that's not what you want to hear!)

It can take 3 months for the positive to disappear. This is why I thought there were guidelines, so everyone was singing from the same hymn sheet. It's when people make their own rules that it gets confusing.

I do get the need for minimising stuff as much as possible, but that's totally different to what the government says. My clients expect me to deliver my work because according to government guidelines I should be available to be working as I don't have to isolate. This is the same for kids. I see on here all the time that schools are fining parents for keeping kids at home when there is a positive case in the family because the expectation is if you don't have covid you get on with life. That's what the government are telling us.

You shouldn't re-test within 90 days of a positive PCR, unless you get new symptoms, so if she asks for a negative PCR result before returning, that might be difficult to provide as she could still test positive even when she no longer is.

So could I be looking at needing to keep her off for 3 months because she can make her own rules?!

Your CM has confirmed there is a vulnerable child in the setting so quite rightly has thought advice and will follow that. If it was your child that was vulnerable I’m sure you would want them kept safe as much as possible.

And would I expect her to close if someone in her family comes down with covid because it's her guidelines for whole families to isolate meaning she wouldn't be able to work?

Is she agreeing to have her back after 10 days from the positive test?

If they both had symptoms and one tested positive then why would you think it was ok for her to go in? I'd assume I'd done the test incorrectly and it was a false negative if the other child was positive.

No wonder it's rife in schools if this is what parents are doing.

I dont understand why you would send a child in with symptoms even if they had a negative test if her sibling tested positive.

Of course that's what people are doing. Just like they are continuing going to work if they have positive cases in their household. Because that's the guidelines.

Lots of offices have different policies
Mine not allowed in if in contact with a positive case until you have a pcr , thats not what the guidelines are but they are free to have their own rules