Informal childcare - now it’s ok

This is all in the interests of the economy - compare with the situation in the first lockdown when the effects on the economy weren't known - now they are and it's accepted that the least disruption to the economy the better so grandparents are now allowed to pick up purely for their use value. Personally, I feel that all grandparents who have been unable to see their grandchildren because of bubble arrangements and who want to do that should nominate themselves as childminders and take the opportunity to do the school pick up. Who is ever going to question that, and it might do a lot for the mental health of families that seems to have been forgotten.

If there were enough affordable childcare places for working parents this would not be an issue.
The U.K. is way behind other European countries for having choices for working parents.
I agree with 'Hetty' above
People over 65 are more vulnerable if they get the virus - proven
Now they are in a dilemma, it's hard to say no - before they had a guideline
Guilt trip the grandparents into childcare

Finally a sensible decision to enable those working parents who rely on informal child care to maintain their work commitments as long as granny is happy too. If she isn't then the power to say no remains firmly in her hands

Vegans rock, lots of people have been ignoring much of the ‘rules’ on social distancing, etc. I drive past 3 schools every morning and even though the children are all well supervised and distanced, the parents/grandparents at the school gate are not.

Am pleased my grandchildren can still come in the morning before school

I work in childcare and the amount of grandparents that pick the children up,is quite high and this won’t change beyond the pandemic and I think it’s impossible for Matt Hancock to say they can’t do this unless they are going to pay the parents wages!

Goodness. Someone other than me thought that was rude.

Don’t be so rude growstuff

Thank you queengran that was my understanding too. In fact I think schools could request or suggest but not ban”. Interesting legal point,

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I am conflicted ..my DGC ...come here twice a week after school..have done for years. We stopped in March & started again in September.... tbh the 3 older ones can go home alone & the 8 yr old too as DD1 works from home si is in the house...it just gave her 3hours extra uninterrupted work time. Other DD is a teacher....so not home until 5:45/ 6:00 & the days the kids were here saved her preparing a meal etc.

I don't think they can Furret. Sounds very odd to me. Surely it's the parents' decision who picks up their children?

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I disagree that the young ‘find themselves more restricted than the people they are being told to protect’.

Sigh! growstuff yes we all know that.

My question is can a school block ban all grandparents? Has anyone else come across this?

Exactly Maizie! Your feelings about it are nuanced. It' a pragmatic decision, not based on what would be best from a scientific perspective. It's a compromise, but some people seem to think they have a right to do something they want to do, while others don't have that right.

I really hate the divisive blame games which have emerged from this situation.

There is one school of thought, perpetuated by certain professors at Oxford Uni, that the younger generation has a "duty" to carry on and infect each other to achieve "herd immunity". That is a discredited theory because no infectious disease has ever been eradicated by herd immunity without a vaccine, but by public health management. It's also highly questionable morally because younger people have died or suffered long-term ill health.

Therefore, the messaging us all very confused. On the one hand, younger people are told it is safe for them to mix. In fact, they're told to eat out, go back to work in the office and, if they're very young, to go back to school/college. On the other hand, they find themselves more restricted than the people they're being told to protect.

I do at least. We all have to put up with restrictions.

Furret

Young peope “having to put up with restrictions’ ??? well that says it all.

I hope that people realise that my original post was just reporting what was being said. It was not my opinion.

I'm personally conflicted about this as I pick up my GS 2 days a week. We are my dd's 'support bubble'. But our only other contacts with people are few and in low risk situations.

But I do appreciate the arguments against this.

Furret

My sister-in-law says that she, as a grandparent, is now banned by the school from picking her grandchildren up.

Is this legal?

Yes, it is legal. A school can decide who can pick up a child, even in normal circumstances. Usually it requires a letter of authorisation from the parent/carer and details of the person picking the child up.

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travelsafar

If we are to have a lock down again surely it would be best over the Xmas period. Children on school holidays so no lost education. Many people take extended leave over Xmas and the New Year so no loss of wages for many of those. Plus it would be half way through the winter months.

Ah! But it wouldn't risk losing votes. The public needs its bread and circuses to keep it happy. Eid was different, of course.

If we are to have a lock down again surely it would be best over the Xmas period.

With respect, travelsafar, I'm not sure that you've quite understood the purpose of a lockdown.

By my extremely rough calculation, if new cases continue to rise at their current rate of doubling every 7 days, if left unchecked we'd have some 28 million cases by Christmas...

I don't think that Test, Trace, Isolate would be able to cope... ?

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Nonnapg

At present, as I write, we can still meet up to six people, so picking up from school is still allowed outside areas with extra rules. The guidance already allowed for the fact that you might not be able to maintain social distance with very young children (or the elderly, in fact). This could all change later today. Within the rules, it is up to each of us to assess our risk, so some may feel having contact with school children is too great a risk and others may accept that risk.

As Chris Whitty explained, you're not only accepting the risk for yourself, but all the people with whom you are in contact. I expect you've considered that aspect and have very little contact with other people yourself.

Furret

My sister-in-law says that she, as a grandparent, is now banned by the school from picking her grandchildren up.

Is this legal?

That's worrying as a lot of GP's either pick up every day or, like me, are the fall back reserve.

Furret

Young peope “having to put up with restrictions’ ??? well that says it all.

What does it say? (According to you.)