Child Minding: Coronavirus

(asked on 28th February 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to change guidance so that child-minding professionals are able to use their judgment and chose to work if a member of their household tests positive for covid-19.


Answered by
Will Quince Portrait
Will Quince
This question was answered on 8th March 2022

Keeping children and staff safe is the department’s utmost priority. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we have listened carefully to the latest scientific and medical advice when developing departmental guidance.

On 24 February 2022, the government removed the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test. Public health guidance continues to advise adults and children who test positive to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days. They should then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days. The guidance also advises that people with symptoms of COVID-19 or a positive test result should not have social visitors at home. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts.

This means that the guidance on managing positive cases for childminders has not changed. Childminders should not childmind in their home if someone in their household has tested positive or has symptoms of COVID-19. This is because there is a higher risk of transmission to those attending the provision for childcare as they are close to the case for extended periods of time.

Considering the changes to the legal requirement to self-isolate, the department has reviewed and updated the guidance with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). In the guidance, the department has outlined options for childminders to continue childminding if someone has tested positive or has symptoms of COVID-19 in their home. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/additional-actions-for-childminders-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/additional-actions-for-childminders-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic.

The department continues to work with the UKHSA to keep guidance under review and ensure that the right control measures are in place for childminders.

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