New dfe information on reopening

[FussyElmo]

Actions for education and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020 - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/actions-for-education-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020)


Coronavirus (COVID-19): implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings)

[SYLVIA]

Yes preparing for the big come back in June. My parents have all been in touch before I’d even read the information! I’m making the most of the next few weeks

[Mouse]

I thought one of my parents would be in touch straight away, but I haven't heard anything yet!

I'm going to email them all tomorrow and see what their plans are. I only have 5 sets of parents. One lot I don't think will come back at all, another 2 I don't think will come back straight away, but the other 2 may well want to come back on 1st June. I'll decide what I'm going to do once I know what they're likely to do.

[Mouse]

There we go - she's messaged me! I knew it wouldn't be long :rolleyes::laughing:

[loocyloo]

I haven't heard from any of my parents!

I think one family will want to return asap, the rest I'm not sure about. I'm happy to take my EY children back, I'm just not so sure about the schoolies ... either school runs or those for whom school has not yet opened. ... not up for home schooling! I'm going to wait for LA guidance before I agree to anything or contact my parents. I'm thinking though that I will either limit myself to EY children or a maximum of 6 mindees a day if I'm being 'encouraged' to take schoolies.

My other thought is what about those families who have/had been told to self isolate for 12 weeks ... do they still need to do so for the 12 weeks, or do they get 'early release' ?

X

[FussyElmo]

I have 2families who could send their children to school.

Both children from one family can attend the other only 1 child can attend so who knows.

[Mouse]

As far as I know the 12 week rule comes first so they have to stick to that.

I don’t have any school aged children on my books, but if I did I don’t think I’d have them back straight away, at least not for full days. I’d have EYFS throughout the day but I’d only have before/after school children at a real push. Even then it would only be reception, year 1 and year 6. I wouldn’t have any other age school children.

As it is I’ll probably just have the EY children who need to come back, most likely 1 or 2 a day.

[loocyloo]

As far as I know the 12 week rule comes first so they have to stick to that.

I don’t have any school aged children on my books, but if I did I don’t think I’d have them back straight away, at least not for full days. I’d have EYFS throughout the day but I’d only have before/after school children at a real push. Even then it would only be reception, year 1 and year 6. I wouldn’t have any other age school children.

As it is I’ll probably just have the EY children who need to come back, most likely 1 or 2 a day.


I only have 1 schoolie in reception... rest of mine are yr2/3/4!

Thanks re 12 weeks isolation, that makes sense ... I've been asked by a family I know, who didn't start their 12 weeks till 3 weeks after everyone else, if they still need to do 12 weeks or just stop when everyone else is? I said I had no idea and that was a question for their dr or powers that be, not me!

[FussyElmo]

And because it cant be simple

CHILDMINDERS UPDATE: The DfE has confirmed that, in a last-minute change of guidance, childminders will be allowed to open to children from a single household as of Wednesday 13 May.

The DfE said: "The government has amended its guidance to clarify that paid childcare can be provided to the children of one household in any circumstance. This would include nannies, for example, and childminders may also choose to provide childcare on this basis, if not already providing care for vulnerable children and children of critical workers. This should enable more working parents to return to work. It is already the case that registered childminders and nurseries can look after key worker and vulnerable children.”

There is no limit to the number or age of the children that childminders can reopen for, but they must live in the same household.

Childminders will then be able to reopen to all children from 1 June, subject to scientific advice at the time, alongside other early years providers.

https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/breaking-dfe-confirms-childminders-can-now-open-from-tomorrow-for-children-from-one-household

[loocyloo]

And because it cant be simple

CHILDMINDERS UPDATE: The DfE has confirmed that, in a last-minute change of guidance, childminders will be allowed to open to children from a single household as of Wednesday 13 May.

The DfE said: "The government has amended its guidance to clarify that paid childcare can be provided to the children of one household in any circumstance. This would include nannies, for example, and childminders may also choose to provide childcare on this basis, if not already providing care for vulnerable children and children of critical workers. This should enable more working parents to return to work. It is already the case that registered childminders and nurseries can look after key worker and vulnerable children.”

There is no limit to the number or age of the children that childminders can reopen for, but they must live in the same household.

Childminders will then be able to reopen to all children from 1 June, subject to scientific advice at the time, alongside other early years providers.

Breaking: DfE confirms childminders can now open from tomorrow for children from one household | Nursery World (https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/breaking-dfe-confirms-childminders-can-now-open-from-tomorrow-for-children-from-one-household)

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

They do like to complicate matters don't they! Maybe they think we're nannies?
As I read it ... I'm already open for keyworkers so I can't have non keyworker children ... even on a day that I don't have any key worker children.

[FussyElmo]

Ofsted clarified their guidance from yesterday we no longer have to keep our household members away from our childcare space.

Childcare Registration - In the light of new advice, we have updated our post on plans for 1 June: The Government has announced plans for moving onto the next phase of tackling the coronavirus. Childcare settings should reopen from 01 June, provided that the 5 key tests set by the government are met: http://ow.ly/JaOn50zDD68 The DfE has said that where childminders are not caring for children of critical workers or vulnerable children, they may choose to provide care for children from one household from today. The guidance on protective measures in childcare and education settings is very comprehensive on cleaning, what to do if a child is showing symptoms and much more: http://ow.ly/7khh50zDDgd There are many common-sense measures including: • Washing hands, using hand sanitiser, avoiding touching your face and encouraging children to wash their hands frequently • Reducing the number of people you come into contact with at work; if you are a nanny, not mixing with other nannies and household members, if you are a childminder, being careful at drop-off and pick-up times to keep socially distant • Keeping the workplace clean, being careful to wipe surfaces, door handles etc • If you travel to work as a nanny, avoid public transport if possible – and ask your employer if you can stagger your working hours to avoid peak public transport times if not. Please look out for more information on the five tests: * We can provide sufficient critical care and specialist treatment right across the UK. * See a sustained and consistent fall in the daily death rates from COVID-19 so we are confident that we have moved beyond the peak. * Reliable data from SAGE showing that the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels across the board. * Be confident that the range of operational challenges, including testing capacity and PPE, are in hand, with supply able to meet future demand. * Be confident that any adjustments to the current measures will not risk a second peak of infections that overwhelms the NHS. | Facebook (https://m.facebook.com/ChildcareRegistration/photos/a.436531556691979/1190717527940041/?type=3)

[Pixie dust]

Today I contacted the remaining families who haven't been attending since lock down to see how people are feeling about returning, had 1 reply so far saying they are more confident about child returning to my smaller setting than her sister returning to school. I do think that all mine will want to return which is a bit frustrating as some of them do not work so the children could stay home a bit longer but as I am getting paid for them as they are funded I feel that I can't tell them to stay home once we can fully open.

[loocyloo]

I've had the same! happier to return to me than school.

so far, it's only some of my funded children who 'might' return! A couple that I thought would be desperate to send their children seem to be happy to keep them home. x

[Pixie dust]

I've had the same! happier to return to me than school.

so far, it's only some of my funded children who 'might' return! A couple that I thought would be desperate to send their children seem to be happy to keep them home. x

3 parents out of 4 have replied all saying they are happy to return the week of the 1st if it goes ahead.

[Dragonfly]

I bet mine all return, haven’t been in touch with them all yet. I know one family who doesn’t need to as a parent there during day and daughter who’s a uni student at home but they will still send .

[ceb99]

I’m more worried about opening my small setting! Toddlers can’t social distance. What gets me is I can have children from multiple families in my home but not my own grandchild or family.
Most of my children are siblings with one child at school and one eyfs age. Luckily all my parents can work from home so are not desperate to return.
The kids are going to be expected to socially distance at school but that can’t be done in my living room when they get home from school.
I might try to stretch the school aged children starting at the beginning of the summer holidays so we don’t have that school/childminder discrepancy and see how it works with the younger children.

[loocyloo]

I'm not keen to open my setting to children who are at school or have siblings at school. At the moment, none of my EY children have older siblings, except 1, and she herself is in reception and comes after school & holidays! Her parents are not sure what they are doing, as it depends when dad has to go back to work. Mum can work from home a bit, so we're going to play it by ear.

so far, I have a couple who 'might' come back at some point in June/July and that depends on if/when parents can go back to work and another couple who want to wait until the infection rate is lower, and others who are wanting to wait until september! So it looks like that initially, i'm just carrying on with my keyworker children as normal! I have said to everyone, that I understand their worries, I have them myself about DD going back to school and she is yr 10 ! so, currently, even though I am theoretically open for everyone, I will only be charging those who attend. However, once they return, they will be deemed to have returned 'as normal' and regular fees will apply - not just paying for occasional care! And that 'normal' fees will apply from September unless I receive notice that child is not returning by 1st August.

Dragonfly - I had a family that I thought would rush to send their child, even though mum doesn't work, but no, keeping child at home!

[Dragonfly]

Mum works loocyloo but dad does evenings so he is at home.


I know being a bit thick here but can we have non keyworker children from the 1st of June and keyworker children mixing together? Obviously they have to mix it’s a childminders not a school.Maybe I read it wrong.

[Dragonfly]

Also the one that prefers to keep her child off possibly until September ( she is going back to work at the school June 1st) should I not charge anything like you loocyloo doesn’t seem fair to charge.Haven’t charged anyone so far. And that normal fees will apply from September hoping that things are a bit more normal by then?

[loocyloo]

I'm presuming that we can mix all children in together from 1st June. I think it's just at the moment they can't mix.

It's tricky isn't it Dragonfly. I didn't really know what to do for the best regarding fees, and I keep reading about nurseries and childminders who are charging full fees regardless of attendance 'because we're open'. It just doesn't sit right with me yet. I know I have some families who can't go back to work, and some are on reduced incomes. ( as are we all ) but i'm thinking if I play fair now, then hopefully, they'll play fair with me. I know that families can and will drop us when it suits them, whilst we've bent over backwards to help them, but i think that's just the way it is. I don't want anyone to feel they have to send their children back before they are ready, and i'm quite enjoying the quieter days! xxx

[FussyElmo]

As it stands as of yet all children can attend from the 1st June snd if we make adjustments we can mix setting.

We are still awaiting confirmation from the dfe which should clarify theres going to be a sample letter to give to parents too

[Dragonfly]

Thank you for your answers.

[ceb99]

As much as I have concerns about opening I have just found out all my local schools are specifying one setting only. No mixing with other adults or children before and after school. :panic:
This pretty much takes the decision out of my hands. I don’t know yet how this stands for younger siblings of school aged children.
I’m waiting to hear back from my local authority on this.
Anyone else hearing this?

[FussyElmo]

A lot of settings including cms are saying no mixing of settings.

[SYLVIA]

Well we haven’t been told that yet but I can’t do a school run and take other children with me so they are probably thinking the same. It get more confusing each day