Confidence during COVID
Not sure you feel confident using childcare during COVID-19? Let us help to put your mind at ease!
We're still navigating extraordinary times and the effect that COVID-19 has had on our everyday life is massive. But as we begin to move back to work, school and "normal life", you may find that you're still feeling unsure and nervous about how and when to send your child to a childcare setting.
For many parents, childcare is essential to enable them to work. For others, having a child in childcare means that they can focus on their studies, spend time caring for elderly relatives or other children, catch up on essential tasks, or even just take time for themselves.
If you're feeling unsure of where to start, or concerned about sending your child back to their previous setting, we've pulled together some examples to help set your mind at rest and suggested things you might want to speak to your childcarer about.
Blogs
BLOG: Into the unknown - a parent's perspective
Parents Sam and Tom discuss the process they went through to decide if it was safe for their toddler to return to his childcare setting.
BLOG: The dangers of informal, unregulated childcare
Services that offer cheap or free childcare are missing the point. PACEY believe that all children, especially in times of difficulty as now, deserve to receive their care and early education from well qualified, knowledgeable practitioners who know how to support children.
BLOG: The return of benefit sanctions
As a PACEY Together for Twos Outreach Worker, one of Sally's roles is working with families, helping them to access affordable childcare and to support them in getting back to work. Sally highlights new information about benefit sanctions and how this may impact families across the UK.
Contracts guidance for parents
Following an investigation during the Coronavirus pandemic, the Competitions and Market Authority has issued advice which sets out what is fair and reasonable for providers and parents to have agreed on during the forced closure of childcare settings, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Download our parent leaflet to read more.
What are providers doing?
Working with Coronavirus. Read about what providers across England and Wales are doing to prepare their settings to welcome children back safely and help them, and parents, feel happy and secure.
Welcome back to the setting
Back to School Safely - Taking your child to nursery or a childminder; what parents need to know. Childminders and nursery staff continue to provide a safe and happy environment where children can learn and develop. If your usual nursery or childminder isn’t open, your local authority can help with finding a place that is right for your child. This leaflet from the Department for Education (DfE) has been published as part of the Back to School Safely campaign in England.
Guidance for Wales is available on the Welsh Government website.
Take a look round this childminder's setting as she explains the changes she's made to help keep everyone safe.
Other ideas and support
Join Play to learn - activities to try at home with your child. A free Facebook group for parents to be inspired with simple activities and routines that can be created and delivered at home for little or no cost, whilst supporting children’s learning and development.
You can also download two useful posters from Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health below: