Your guide to childcare

Yes, you can ask to be furloughed if you need to look after your children but only if this is a result of coronavirus. So for example you can ask to be furloughed if:

• your child’s school or ELC setting is closed due to coronavirus
• your child can’t attend school or ELC because they have to isolate as a close contact of someone with coronavirus
• you have to care for a vulnerable person.

Even if you can work from home, you may be able to be furloughed if you can’t juggle childcare with doing your job. If you need to reduce your hours to manage childcare, you can also ask to be furloughed for the hours you are losing.

If you need to be furloughed, get in touch with your employer to discuss this with them.

There’s lots more information at the Working Families website. You can also check if your employer can use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme here.

Yes, if you’re part of an extended household then any adult in that extended household can look after your children, even if you don’t live with them. You can find out more about who can form extended households here.

Yes, informal childcare can continue at all levels but it’s important to consider the risks associated with this and take measures to reduce risks where possible.

Levels 0-2

If you’re in an area in levels 0-2 then other friends or family can look after your children. In order to reduce risks it’s important to continue to follow the rules on indoor socialising. Remember that indoors, children under 12 don’t count towards the number of people that can be together, but they do count towards the number of households.

Level 3  

For all areas in level 3, a friend or family member can still look after your children. 

The friend or family member can look after your child in your home or theirs, provided of course that no-one in either household has coronavirus symptoms. However, it’s best to only ask a friend or family member to look after your child if you have to, for example:

•  if you need childcare to enable you to work (this can include working from home)
•  to attend medical appointments for you or another child
•  you or your children have on-going regular health or social care needs
•  illness or health issues mean you can't look after them or you need additional support to do so
•  respite care if your child is disabled.

Level 4

For areas in level 4, you should only use informal childcare if it's essential (see 'Who can access childcare at level 4?' below).

You should only use informal childcare in level 4 if it's essential. This means that you can leave your child with a friend or family member if:

• you're a key worker and require informal childcare to go to work
• you work in an industry that is permitted to operate at level 4, and you require informal childcare to go to work
• you're working from home, and you need informal childcare so you can to continue to work and no alternative can be found.

Key workers include:

• health and care workers
• public sector workers providing emergency or critical welfare services, such as Fire, Police, Prisons, Courts, Social Workers and workers in any of the 13 critical national infrastructure sectors
• education and childcare staff, including support staff.

If you aren't a key worker and don't work in another industry that's permitted to operate in level 4, you can only use informal childcare if it's essential and you have no other option. Essential childcare means:

• you are working from home, and you need informal childcare to enable you to continue to work
• you or another child need to attend medical appointments
• you or your children have on-going regular health or social care needs
• illness or health issues mean you can't look after your child or you need additional support to do so
• respite care if your child is disabled.

Your employer should offer homeworking and other flexible working arrangements to help you balance work with care. If the increased restrictions are going to give you additional caring responsibilities, it's a good idea to discuss flexible working with your employer so you can come up with a balance that works for everyone.

In level 4, your child should move between households, rather than your friend or family member coming to your house to look after your child. However, in some cases it may be essential for the caregiver to come to your home, for example if your child has additional support needs or you don't have transport. In this case, everybody should be extra careful around hygiene and must follow physical distancing rules at all times.

In all levels we would encourage you to consider how to reduce risks associated with informal childcare. There are ways to reduce those risks by considering: 

• where childcare is provided – for example, the risks of transmitting the virus are greatly reduced outdoors and also there are fewer risks if the child travels to the caregiver's home rather than the other way round.
• how many households are mixing – for example, there may be increased risks associated with looking after children from multiple households or if children are going to multiple households for childcare regularly.
• cleaning and food preparation – following the FACTS advice and ensuring regular cleaning will reduce risks of transmission. Avoiding sharing of utensils, crockery and cutlery and sharing of food also reduce risks.

Yes, you can take your child to their regular ELC provider if they are in a different local authority area. If you use babysitters or informal childcare then you can travel between areas for the purpose of essential childcare. 

Here are the rules around travel in more detail:

Levels 0-2

If you live in an area in level 0-2 you mustn’t travel in and out of areas in levels 3 or 4 unless it’s for a permitted reason. 

Level 3

If you live in a level 3 area you mustn’t travel into a level 4 or level 0-2 area unless it’s for a permitted reason. 

Level 4

If you live in a level 4 area you mustn’t leave your local authority area unless it’s for permitted reason and you should try to travel within your local authority area as little as possible.

All levels

Permitted reasons for travel include:

• work
• education (this includes travel for school, university and nursery, home education, training and school day trips) 
• essential childcare
• if you are sharing parenting or in an extended household and you live in different local authority areas
• providing or receiving voluntary services
• children’s organised activities (including baby and toddler groups)
• accessing healthcare
• antenatal and postnatal classes.

You can find out more about travel restrictions and exemptions, travelling safely and using public transport on the Scottish Government website.

We should avoid car sharing with people outside our own household or extended household unless it's essential.

If your child has been told to isolate as a close contact of someone who’s got coronavirus, no-one else outside your immediate household should look after them, as they may have or pass on the virus without showing any symptoms. If you can’t work because your child has to isolate, you may be eligible for a Self-Isolation Support Grant. You can find out more about financial support available during coronavirus here.

If your child is under 12, the person looking after them doesn’t need to distance. Otherwise this depends on the level your area is in and where you are, unless there’s an emergency – for example, if a child gets hurt and needs help.

Levels 0-2

In level 0-2, if you’re meeting friends or family in a private garden or home, you no longer need to maintain physical distancing. However, you should still be very careful, especially with friends or family members who are on the shielding list. Remember that close contact increases the chance of catching or passing on COVID-19, so try to limit the number of people you have close contact with.

When you’re out and about in indoor or outdoor public spaces, it’s really important to still maintain physical distancing.

Levels 3-4

In levels 3 and 4, you must maintain physical distancing from anyone aged 12 and over who isn’t part of your household or extended household.

Children with additional needs should follow the physical distancing guidelines appropriate to their physical age where possible, which means 12s and over should physically distance, except in an emergency or if the exceptions above apply (see 'Do adults and children need to physically distance?').

In levels 0-3, there’s no time limit for how long someone can look after your child, including overnight if required. However, it’s important to think the arrangements through and decide whether it’s practical.

For areas in level 4 and under stay local restrictions, this would be acceptable for essential childcare if it was the only available option (see 'Who can access childcare in level 4?' above).

It’s fine for someone else to feed your baby if they are providing childcare, however, you may wish to prepare their food in advance to be safe. It’s also fine for someone else to change your baby’s nappy, or help a little one on the potty, as long as they keep everything clean and wash their hands before and after.

Before you leave your child with someone else, make sure they have everything your child will need, such as pre-prepared food and drink, utensils, disposable wipes and a towel. The person looking after your child should of course maintain good hygiene and cleaning measures.

Whatever level your area is in, you shouldn’t give anyone from another household a lift in your car, or accept a lift from someone from another household, unless it’s essential. So if someone is providing necessary childcare for your child after school, and it’s too far to walk, then that might be considered essential. If this is the case, try to limit the number of passengers and space out as much as possible and keep the windows open. You shouldn’t share a car with people from more than one household at a time. Travel Scotland have further advice on travelling here.

If you need other friends or family to help look after your child while you are at work, the people that help you should keep their contact with people from other households to a minimum, stringently follow the FACTS advice, and avoid sharing food and utensils. Whilst in the house, if possible, they should avoid touching hard surfaces but also regularly wipe surfaces down with anti-bacterial cleaner. Keep windows open and have fresh air flowing through the house, as much as possible. 

If a family member is on the shielding list, the rules don’t stop them from looking after your child, but it’s important that they feel comfortable doing so and that precautions are taken. 

If you’re shielding or vulnerable you may choose to avoid providing informal childcare at the moment – it’s entirely up to you. There’s lots of information on the Scottish Government website to help people who are on the shielding list make informed decisions during the pandemic. You could also talk to their GP or another health professional to get some advice on what to do.

Our page on staying safe during coronavirus has more advice on things you can do to stay safe, such as following FACTS guidance, wiping down surfaces regularly and keeping doors and windows open where possible.

There’s no law about what age your child can be left at home. However, you mustn’t leave a child on their own if they'll be at risk. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) recommends:

• babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone
• children under 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time
• children under 16 shouldn't be left alone overnight. The NSPCC website has more advice about deciding when it's safe for a child to be left alone

The NSPCC website has more advice about deciding when it's safe for a child to be left alone.

Whatever level you're in, another person can come into your home to provide care and support for a vulnerable person. This can include providing emotional support for someone whose wellbeing is at risk, including for those who are isolated because of disability or a caring situation or where they are a parent or carer of a child under one. So if you feel this applies to you, then a friend, family member or support worker can visit you in your home to provide this support. This person doesn’t have to be part of your extended household.

If you feel this applies to you, it doesn’t matter whether you are on your own with your child or live with someone else (for example, your partner or an older child). However, this person must be there to provide you with support because you’re feeling vulnerable or worried about your wellbeing, it isn’t just a social visit.

The person who comes to support you can travel from another local authority area or elsewhere in the UK if necessary. This is because travel for childcare or parental support services and travel to provide care, assistance, support to or respite for a vulnerable person are permitted.

When they’re visiting, make sure you stick to physical distancing and hygiene guidelines to ensure you both stay safe.