Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing financial assistance to childminders who are unable to operate in circumstances where someone in their household has tested positive for, or has symptoms of, covid-19.

Since Thursday 17 March, if someone in a childminder’s household has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, childminders can continue to operate at home.

Childminders are advised to follow the steps below to reduce the risk of onward transmission:

• The person who has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms should avoid contact with the children being cared for in the setting.
• Where possible, use separate toilet and handwashing facilities. If this is not possible, maintain extra cleaning and hygiene routines, particularly after the person has used the facilities.
• Notify parents, carers, and any assistants that someone has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, as soon as reasonably possible and maintain open communication with them throughout.
• Consider the need to reduce the spread of COVID-19 with mitigations, such as ventilation and extra cleaning and hygiene routines, additional information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae?utm_source=17%20March%202022%20C19&utm_medium=Daily%20Email%20C19&utm_campaign=DfE%20C19.
• Comply with health and safety law by reviewing your risk assessment.

The risk assessment must demonstrate that the provision of childcare in the setting is safe, and how childminders will put into place any additional but proportionate measures. Childminders can also consider using alternative places to operate such as other childminders’ houses, where possible.