Creches - Lockdown III

ax530

we got the message from creche this afternoon. Up to parents to decided & let them know if they are an essential worker and if child will attend.
I dont consider myself one and I am working from home however from looking at the list on gov.ie seems I could be by their classification (financial, insurance and banking services - that covers a lot of jobs I'd expect!!!).
Found it so difficult last time even with an understanding employer. Not sure how I am goign to do it this time around - need to decide between taking time off or learning not to care about work.
But main concern is everyone keeping well and not giving this virus anywhere to go.

pc7

Sweet.Science wrote: »

The irony in complaining about creches and fees is that a lot of them might not get through this lockdown and there will be nowhere to send your kids

A bigger irony is paying a 4 figures sum for childcare you cant use, I don't think people are being unreasonable in wanting to know the plan or arrangements.

As I've said we have paid for our pair for January but chose not to send them this week due to figures trying to pull on the green jersey and all that. But I'll be fairly sick if I can't send them and its open to only 'essential' workers and I've to pay.

Sweet.Science

pc7 wrote: »

A bigger irony is paying a 4 figures sum for childcare you cant use, I don't think people are being unreasonable in wanting to know the plan or arrangements.

As I've said we have paid for our pair for January but chose not to send them this week due to figures trying to pull on the green jersey and all that. But I'll be fairly sick if I can't send them and its open to only 'essential' workers and I've to pay.

I agree its not fair on parents . That's where the government must step in . However from speaking to the owner of my kids creche this morning they are in the dark

They were waiting to get more info today

A farce

Paddy1234

angela1711 wrote: »

Are they updating the list of essential services or is this the final thing https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9158-essential-services/

My work is listed there as an essential service but I am an office worker so I am not too sure If I should still be physically attending work. Work can be 100% done from home just need to try and say that to my employer who has the utmost disregard for any sort of restrictions and only cares about profits.

I missed the following statement from this list. It’s at the bottom of the list.

“Essential workers are those providing the services below where such services can only be provided in person and cannot be delivered remotely.”

Is that not fairly clear cut then - if your profession is on the list but you can work from home you are not an essential worker.

I missed this part and was just looking at the list which had my profession on it and assumed I was essential worker.

angela1711

Paddy1234 wrote: »

I missed the following statement from this list. It’s at the bottom of the list.

“Essential workers are those providing the services below where such services can only be provided in person and cannot be delivered remotely.”

Is that not fairly clear cut then - if your profession is on the list but you can work from home you are not an essential worker.

I missed this part and was just looking at the list which had my profession on it and assumed I was essential worker.

Yeah I was thinking that too. Well technically I am involved in the processing of data which is listed under section 13 as a necessary support service but at the same time I can be processing this data from home.

Also just got a text from the crèche saying that if you want to send your child in next week you, the crèche needs a confirmation from both parents employers to certify that they are essential workers.


By the looks of things I am not essential even though my employer would gladly lie about that (but the girls in the crèche now what I do) and my husband's work is not going to certify anything as he is on sick leave for the last year and a half. Meaning that we are left with no childcare one way or the other. Husband is not able to care for our toddler on a full time basis.

JDD

Paddy1234 wrote: »

I missed the following statement from this list. It’s at the bottom of the list.

“Essential workers are those providing the services below where such services can only be provided in person and cannot be delivered remotely.”

Is that not fairly clear cut then - if your profession is on the list but you can work from home you are not an essential worker.

I missed this part and was just looking at the list which had my profession on it and assumed I was essential worker.

Good man Paddy. I missed that myself. I doubt our HR department will give a letter to any employee who has been working remotely for 10 months that confirms that they can only work in person. That will help my colleague out immensely.

Doesn't help me unfortunately - I'm the opposite in that I WANT to send my child to creche even though I am WFH. Ho hum, what will be will be. I'll see what the creche says and what criteria they apply.

Gemma1982

Paddy1234 wrote: »

I missed the following statement from this list. It’s at the bottom of the list.

“Essential workers are those providing the services below where such services can only be provided in person and cannot be delivered remotely.”

Is that not fairly clear cut then - if your profession is on the list but you can work from home you are not an essential worker.

I missed this part and was just looking at the list which had my profession on it and assumed I was essential worker.

I had missed that part too. I agree - it seems clearcut that if you can wfh, you’re not an essential worker. Whoever came up with that has clearly never tried to wfh with two children under the age of five. Mentally it nearly drove me over the edge during the last lockdown. I did a terrible job in work and a terrible job at parenting.

Theboinkmaster

i dont care about the fees, though it's a nice bonus not to pay them

we have 3 and 5 year old at home both work full-time and it's impossible.

we are deemed essential and creche is confirmed as staying open.

despite the pain we didnt send 3 year old in this week due to case numbers.

my issue is the creche workers mostly get public transport and could easily infect our daughter and she then passes to us.

so as hard as it is im thinking of keeping her home for a few weeks until the case nos are steadily declining and less than 1,000 per day.

it's a difficult decision though as life would be so much easier if we sent her in, but the cases are just so high....other than supermarket that's really the only place we could pick up COVID that I'd deem a high risk.

baldbear

So basically if you can work from home you are not an essential worker.
So does that mean parents don't pay? (Selfish thinking) we have a 18month old and a 4 year old. Place was like a war zone today ��

JDD

baldbear wrote: »

So basically if you can work from home you are not an essential worker.
So does that mean parents don't pay? (Selfish thinking) we have a 18month old and a 4 year old. Place was like a war zone today ��

Haven't head anything from the government yet about extending the childcare covid scheme to creche's this time around, but I am going to assume they will do the same thing as last time.

We're not going to pay anyway, not if the creche don't take our 3 year old on Monday.

pc7

angela1711 wrote: »

By the looks of things I am not essential even though my employer would gladly lie about that (but the girls in the crèche now what I do) and my husband's work is not going to certify anything as he is on sick leave for the last year and a half. Meaning that we are left with no childcare one way or the other. Husband is not able to care for our toddler on a full time basis.

Could you get your gp to do a letter saying husband can’t mind kid and you get one from employer and then they may take them.

thunderdog

My crèche have indicated that they are aligning the closure of the Creche with school closures so the Creche will be fully closed to all kids (essential and non essential workers) until the schools fully reopen. While it’s going to be a tricky few weeks with both of us working (1 essential), it’s a fair enough position from the Creche I think.

RiseToMe

Our creche confirmed that unless our letter states we cannot do our job from home, we cant send our kids in.

I'm mid exams as a mature student, heading into a 36 hours per week lecture load including two days in person (medical discipline) as we missed so much last semester, wife is a senior manager dealing with brexit fallout and is pregnant. We have a 20 month old and a 3 year old so they need supervision so I'm going to have to can my studies and waste all the fees paid so far.

tfeldi

Just on RTE:

"The Minister for Children has said his Department has asked childcare providers to repay, refund or credit fees to parents from next Monday.

Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime Minister Roderic O'Gorman said there is a "sustainability service" for those who feel they may not survive in this current surge.

He said the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme will continue to be paid at the higher rate for childcare services until the end of March.

The Minister said the State has made a significant investment to support childcare providers, which he said on average pays for the cost of about 80% of the staff of childcare providers

He said the childcare sector is the only sector in which there is a blanket exemption that all businesses in the sector can access the EWSS.

Mr O'Gorman said his Department's legal team is examining how to make it mandatory for services to return fees to parents.

He also said his Department is currently examining ways to assist in supporting in childcare of frontline healthcare workers."

As in March, ECCE payments are not being made either. Which means zero income for pre schools and crèches.

pc7

Our creche sent a letter that isn’t overly clear. I ‘think’ it says we can send them in if we want and to let them know tomorrow. I’ve emailed for more info.

BBMcQ

Total new information again, more contradiction.

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/8fdc1-faqs-for-parents-of-children-in-early-learning-and-care-and-school-age-childcare-services-07-january/

Jim_Hodge

BBMcQ wrote: »

Total new information again, more contradiction.

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/8fdc1-faqs-for-parents-of-children-in-early-learning-and-care-and-school-age-childcare-services-07-january/

I'm sorry but where is the contradiction? It answered all my questions precisely .

BBMcQ

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

I'm sorry but where is the contradiction? It answered all my questions precisely .

Oh indeed the FAQ is very clear. But it’s contradicting another government page saying that essential workers are only those that leave the home to work.

9. (Paraphrase) An essential worker maybe be working from home.

But then elsewhere on the main COVID19 list of essential workers:
“Essential workers are those providing the services below where such services can only be provided in person and cannot be delivered remotely. It does not include administrative and other support for such businesses and services unless specified in section 13 and the physical presence of a worker is required. Physical attendance at workplaces is only permitted for such essential workers.”

Jim_Hodge

BBMcQ wrote: »

Oh indeed the FAQ is very clear. But it’s contradicting another government page saying that essential workers are only those that leave the home to work.

9. (Paraphrase) An essential worker maybe be working from home.

But then elsewhere on the main COVID19 list of essential workers:
“Essential workers are those providing the services below where such services can only be provided in person and cannot be delivered remotely. It does not include administrative and other support for such businesses and services unless specified in section 13 and the physical presence of a worker is required. Physical attendance at workplaces is only permitted for such essential workers.”

You're comparing two statements. A newer statement cancels and supersedes an older one.

From the creche perspective it is clearly stated: An essential worker may be working from home.

ThunbergsAreGo

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

You're comparing two statements. A newer statement cancels and supersedes an older one.

From the creche perspective it is clearly stated: An essential worker may be working from home.

So is a teacher an essential worker?

Jim_Hodge

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

So is a teacher an essential worker?

Yes.

BBMcQ

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

You're comparing two statements. A newer statement cancels and supersedes an older one.

From the creche perspective it is clearly stated: An essential worker may be working from home.

They are both updated on the same day!

Clouron

Thats interesting so..

Based on the list, and now the change aswell to essential workers working from home,....more creches could open? The list is long!

Paddy1234

Clouron wrote: »

Thats interesting so..

Based on the list, and now the change aswell to essential workers working from home,....more creches could open? The list is long!

Yes - I think this changes the dial completely. Surely now the majority of people will fall into the essential services list.

salmocab

The crèches were informed last night that whilst the parents were given an FAQ for issues the crèches wouldn’t receive one until sometime today. There will be more inevitable issues caused by this as the crèches are still waiting on information and parents will be saying what they’ve been told. This is very badly handled, why weren’t contingency’s organised and ready to communicate clearly?

JDD

Yeah I got the FAQs from work today as well. So I fall into the essential category, even though I am working from home. And the FAQs are clear that only one parent needs to be an essential worker.

I would say the essential worker list includes at least half of the workforce. My husband's work definitely doesn't fall into the essential worker category, but he managed to find a section that vaguely sounds like what they do, and their HR department is willing to give a letter to confirm it.

I wonder how many children are in creches across the country? Probably loads in Dublin and probably not as many outside Dublin.

The one upside for us is that most of the people who live on our estate work for Microsoft or one of the other local tech companies. There isn't a hope they'd fall into the essential category so hopefully there'll be less than half the children in my 3 year o'ds room.

DublinCJM

We'd an email from creche at midday today.

Dear Parents/Guardians

We are pleased and relieved to have received clarification, yesterday, from DCEDIY (formerly DCYA). NPHET's advice is that childcare services are safe for both children and staff. We look forward to working closely with DCEDIY and are assuring you that the creche will remain open and welcoming of children from Monday next, 11 January 2021.

Sessional Pre-school Care (9:30am-1pm, 5 days per week, term time) will resume on Monday 1 February 2021 as per government guidelines.

Should you require full day After School Care from 11 January - 31 January 2021 please confirm by way of return email.

quarryman

DublinCJM wrote: »

We'd an email from creche at midday today.

Dear Parents/Guardians

We are pleased and relieved to have received clarification, yesterday, from DCEDIY (formerly DCYA). NPHET's advice is that childcare services are safe for both children and staff. We look forward to working closely with DCEDIY and are assuring you that the creche will remain open and welcoming of children from Monday next, 11 January 2021.

Sessional Pre-school Care (9:30am-1pm, 5 days per week, term time) will resume on Monday 1 February 2021 as per government guidelines.

Should you require full day After School Care from 11 January - 31 January 2021 please confirm by way of return email.

Heh? What about "essential workers only"?

pc7

quarryman wrote: »

Heh? What about "essential workers only"?

Our creche has basically said if you wfh and can't with the kids there we are open send them in.