In new changes to lockdown guidelines, Matt Hancock has announced that ‘informal carers’ - i.e. your friends and family - will be allowed to look after your children, even in areas with tighter restrictions on mixing between households. Here is what parents need to know:
Children under 14 can be cared for by people outside of their household as part of a childcare bubble.
Even if you are in an area where mixing between households is currently banned, you will still be able to have children in your home for the purposes of providing childcare.
This childcare should be part of a "consistent childcare relationship” and so ad hoc playdates with lots of different children will not be allowed.
If you are in an area that is not subject to local lockdown restrictions, the current rule of six still applies.
This new exemption means that, even in a localised lockdown, a relative or friend can care for your children. Exemptions for registered childcare professional already exist.
The introduction of "care bubbles" will allow informal childcare arrangements to continue, as long as they are consistent. One-off arrangements, such as a play date, will not be included.
How can we help?
The Fetching app is the digital way to arrange informal childcare with your friends and family. The free app lets you connect with friends, request help with the school run and inform the school. You may be wondering why you need an app for that. This short blog explains it all.
Provided you help your friends with childcare as much as they help you, the app will always be free and our platform for schools ensures they have all the information they need to safely release your children at the end of the day.