To be eligible for the Track and Trace support payment, administered by local authorities on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), a childminder would have to test positive for Covid or be caring for a child, aged 15 or under (or 25 or under with an EHC plan) who has coronavirus, and meet other criteria.
For the main support payment scheme, an applicant must be in receipt of benefits. Applicants can apply for their council’s discretionary scheme with their own criteria.
However, under rules set by the Department for Education (DfE), if they have a positive case within their household they must close their business unless they are able to operate from a separate building to their home.
Separate DfE guidance states however that childminders in this situation and are free from the virus can operate from another premises or a public place, for example ‘visiting a park’ after collecting children from school and then dropping them home. Ofsted must be contacted prior to operating from another premises.
When contacted for a response, Ofsted pointed Nursery World to the DfE guidance.
Childminders' experiences
Tracy Fraser, a childminder from Corby, told Nursery World she has lost her only full-time mindee due to ‘being unreliable’ after she was forced to close her business twice within a six-week period due to Covid.
She said, ‘My daughter, aged 18, tested positive for coronavirus in November. I was told by the DfE that due to being vaccinated, I didn’t have to isolate, but I couldn’t have children in my house. They suggested working from another childminder's home or renting a building. I had to close for 10 days.
‘At the time, I had no funded children. I applied for the self-isolation discretionary scheme and was told by the council, I wasn’t eligible as it wasn’t me that had to isolate even though I told them I was self-employed and couldn’t work from home.’
Ms Fraser then contracted the virus at the end of December so was forced to close her business again. She has yet to find out if she will receive any support payment from the council.
Another childminder from Northamptonshire, Lynn Haywards, was forced to close her setting in December for three weeks after her children tested positive for Covid-19 in succession. Ms Haywards did not catch the virus herself.
Again, she was told by the council she was ineligible for the Track and Track support payment as it wasn’t her that needed to isolate.
None of the children in her care receive funding and nor could she charge parents fees while closed.
She said, ‘The early years sector is on its knees at the moment with people leaving the nurseries and childminding in their droves. To be blanked by our local government so badly when we need them to help is not the best relationship that you can have with both local and county council.’
In Northamptonshire, applicants must meet the following criteria set by the council to receive the discretionary Track and Trace support payment:
- An applicant has less than £3000 capital or savings.
- An applicant will suffer financial hardship as a result of self-isolation (a financial statement must be completed).
- An applicant is not in full-time education.
A Northamptonshire County Council spokesperson said, ‘Financial hardship is determined by taking into account the income, expenses and capital of the whole household.
‘The only exception to the scheme are individuals who work within the adult social care sector, this is because care settings have been provided with alternative funding to cover their employees loss of earnings if they are required to self-isolate.’
‘Ensure all providers can access urgent funding to cover Covid-related financial loss’
The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) urged the Government to put in place a ‘long-term plan’ to support settings to remain sustainable, including ensuring that all providers can access ‘urgent’ funding to cover Covid-related financial loss.
Helen Donohoe, policy advisor at PACEY said, ‘The latest coronavirus figures are extremely concerning to us, especially as we are not seeing any signs of this slowing down. Many providers across England are having to temporarily close their doors - sometimes multiple times in a short timeframe – without access to the support offered to the rest of the education sector. And the limited grant funding that is available to practitioners through local authorities seems to be a postcode lottery with different eligibility criteria down to individual discretion.
‘The reality is that our sector is likely to continue to face disruptions over the coming months.’
What does the DfE guidance say?
Within the Covid FAQ for Childminders document, the DfE states, ‘When someone living in your home has any of the main symptoms of Covid-19,or a positive test, you cannot care for children in your home. You cannot childmind children in your home until everyone living with you who has symptoms, or a positive test, has finished self-isolating.’
It goes on to say that childminders may continue to operate if they have a ‘suitable’ outbuilding/extension and garden. ‘The premises must have its own entrance and exit, not have direct access to the house and not be used by anyone self-isolating. Arrangements must be discussed with Ofsted prior to using the space for childminding.’
Under the question, ‘What are my options when I can’t childmind in my home?', the document states, ‘You may wish to consider the following options, to continue childminding as long as you are not personally required to self-isolate.
‘Option A - another registered domestic premises, Option B – an unregistered domestic premises, Option C – an undomestic premises, Option D – public places, Option E – outbuildings and gardens.’
Under Option D, it says, ‘You can continue to childmind if, for example, you were to collect children from school and take them to their parent or carer without taking them into your home. This could include an activity along the way, such as a visit to the park.’
A DfE spokesperson said, 'It is important that we all take steps to reduce the spread of Covid-19 infections in the community to save lives and protect the NHS.
'We have worked with UKHSA to develop specific guidance to support childminders to manage their provision when someone they live with is self-isolating and to help them consider alternative options to continue childminding when they cannot work from their home.'
