Omicron Takes Heavy Toll on Childcare Sector

The current Omicron wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has been quite different to its predecessors. It came at a time when the majority of the population have been vaccinated and, and in general, seems to have resulted in a milder illness for many, though not all sufferers. However, it has also proved itself to be tremendously transmissible. This has posed a conundrum for policymakers. Introducing tougher restrictions appears unwarranted for a comparatively mild infection, but on the other hand, if the infection rate is too high, the serious cases it does cause could still overwhelm the NHS. The solution the UK governments landed on was to only slightly strengthen restrictions but to maintain the obligation for those infected to isolate.

This is a situation in which there is probably no perfect answer, but it has had a significant impact on the childcare sector. Research suggests there have been times where approximately 20% of childcare staff have had to self-isolate, having a significant knock-on effect for the businesses affected. Although in England, Ofsted have indicted that this could be an exceptional circumstance where ratios could be relaxed, children must still be kept safe and providers accordingly have a difficult balance to strike. The isolation time has also been incrementally reduced, from 10 days, to 7, to 5, which should ease the pressure, provided it does not in turn cause infection rates to rise.

As always, the childcare sector has shown itself willing to do its part to support the country through the pandemic. In return however, demands for additional support are increasing, taking into account the particular circumstances of the sector. In particular, some childminders have found they are not eligible for £500 support payments if a member of their household is ill. While this phase of the pandemic is perhaps not the emergency of 2020-21, it is clear there are still lessons for policymakers to learn.