Children: Day Care

(asked on 19th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will put in place additional childcare support for parents when care provided (a) by grandparents and (b) under other informal settings is unavailable as a result of shielding.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 8th June 2020

During the period of partial closures, the government asked schools, early years settings and childminders to remain open for children of critical workers, as well as children who are vulnerable.

As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has set out, employers should take into account employees’ access to childcare when making arrangements for any return to work.

As of 13 May, childminders can choose to look after the children of one household if they are not already looking after vulnerable children or those of critical workers.

From 1 June, schools and early years settings opened more widely – allowing more children to attend and more parents to return to work. This includes childminders, who will be able to look after children of all ages, in line with their current Ofsted registration, and within usual limits on the number of children they can care for.

Out-of-school settings will not be allowed to reopen, but wraparound childcare can operate on school premises for children currently eligible to attend that school (in nursery, reception, year 1, year 6 or priority groups). Any such provision which does open from 1 June should ensure they are following the same protective measures being taken by schools during the day, and work with schools to follow their arrangements, such as implementing social distancing or keeping children in the same small consistent groups that they are in during the school day.

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