NOTE: The below was published in Oct 2020, when we worked with Government to provide updates to our sector throughout the pandemic.
Now that Covid-19 is (hopefully!) in the past, we are no longer updating on guidelines.
If you are a class provider looking to fill your classes we invite you to:
If you’re a parent, you can:
- Sign up to for a bespoke weekly round up of classes near you here
- Search for classes directly on Happity
Parent and child groups reopening after Covid-19
It’s been a difficult challenging time for our sector and many baby & toddler classes have really struggled to return. This is because there have been no clear specific government guidelines for baby & toddler groups. Providers have had to refer to many different documents to work out how to operate covid-securely.
Happity is the UK’s leading platform for baby & toddler classes. Through our community of thousands of class providers, we brought together a shared understanding of the existing Government Covid Guidelines. This document summarises all the the relevant information that applies to the parent & child sector in one place, with references to the relevant documents.
Working together to achieve real change!
Happity led a community of thousands of class providers and parents to lobby MPs across the country throughout 2020 via letters, social media and petitions.
We highlighted the challenges being faced by our sector, many of whom have been unable to re-open for the entire year, as well as the plight of new mums during the Covid crisis.
On 24 March 2021, Emily Tredget, one of the co-founders of Happity, was nominated by the Government Petition Committee for ‘Petition Campaign of the Year’!
Catherine McKinnell, Chair of the Petitions Committee, said:
“Because of these petitioners’ drive for change, many who otherwise might not have had the support they need will be able to access these groups during what has been, and continues to be, an extremely challenging time for new parents. These campaigns are a testament to the power of petitions to highlight issues that might otherwise not be heard in Parliament.”
As a result of this work, and the document below, we were able to influence and creating real change, including:
- new specific legislation for the parent & child sector from 1 December 2020
- baby & toddler groups clearly set out in the reopening roadmap on 22nd March 2021
- new guidance documents issued on a) Principles for Safer Singing and b) a ‘Parent & Child’ section added to the Early Years document, reflecting information shared with policymakers from this document.
Read the full press release here.
The Essential Service of Parent & Child Classes
Baby & toddler classes provide a vital lifeline for new parents. Throughout the Covid crisis, we were hearing every day from parents who were lacking in support from their own extended family, and were desperate for classes to reopen. We heard from mums who felt their children had so little experience of the world beyond their four walls, that they couldn’t return to work.
As a team of mums who have struggled with PND in the past ourselves, the work of the past year has been very personal. And although it’s now clear that many classes will be allowed to reopen from 29th March outdoors and 12th April indoors, a lot of the practical aspects still remain confusing.
If you are a class provider seeking help and support in reopening, we invite you to join our free Facebook group for class providers here, or sign up for a free Happity account here. If you’re a parent, you can sign up to for news from Happity here.
This is an evolving document as Government Guidelines are changing constantly. We’re continuing to work with Government departments to help secure greater clarity for our sector.
If you would like to receive news from us on this document and Government guidance updates, please subscribe below with your email below. You can of course unsubscribe from this list at any time. (Please see Happity Privacy Policy)
This is an open collaborative document, and we are super grateful to everyone that has helped to bring this together so far. If you have comments or feedback to add to this, please email us on [email protected].
NB – If you already list your classes with Happity, you’ll receive updates via our regular sector newsletters, so you don’t need to sign up again. 😊
Please let other providers know about this blog so they too can benefit from these Operational Guidelines.
Summary of government covid guidance for baby & toddler groups
Last Updated – 28 May 2021. Please sign up for updates.
ENGLAND
Please See the ‘Parent & Child’ Section of:
“It is a legal requirement that support groups, and parent and child groups, must be organised by a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution, or a public body, and must only be held in places that are permitted to be open and not in private homes or gardens.
From 17 May, under Step 3 of the roadmap, groups must have no more than 30 attendees.
Children aged under 5 years, and someone who is working as part of the group, such as a group leader, are not counted in the number.
Support groups which provide support functions for parents, carers, or their children, such as breastfeeding or postnatal groups, which have to be delivered in person may continue to meet indoors or outdoors but must follow the same rules as other support groups. Guidance on support groups is available in COVID-19 restrictions: what you can and cannot do.
All parent and child groups, for the benefit of children under 5 years of age, can meet indoors and outdoors.
Singing in Parent & Child Groups
On 29th March, it was initially announced that parents would not be allowed to sing in these groups – our community lobbied on the issue and amendments were made on 12th April with further changes in May to distinguish between indoor and outdoor regulations.
It now states:
Group singing can take place. Taking account of the evidence about singing and COVID- 19, singing is considered safer when limited numbers of people sing together.
Where singing is to take place indoors, no more than 6 adults in the room, including the group leader, should sing along with children aged under 5. Singing should be limited to the same 6 adults for the duration of the group session. Good ventilation with fresh air should be maintained throughout the session.
Currently, where singing is to take place outdoors, and:
– organised as 1 group – no more than 6 adults, including the group leader, should sing at any one time along with the children aged under 5
– the group is broken up into smaller groups of no more than 6 adults – everyone can sing and the same groups should be maintained for the duration of the session
From 17 May, under Step 3 of the roadmap, where singing is to take place outdoors, multiple groups of 30 attendees can take part. This limit includes children aged under 5, so where the parent and child group has more than a total of 30 attendees of all ages, they should divide into groups of 30 or less and remain in these groups for the duration of the session.
NOTES – Sessions must be ‘for the benefit of children under 5’ i.e. this clause does not cover parent & child activities for older children, nor classes that are designed primarily for the parent. If you run a postnatal exercise class you may need to also adhere to guidance on adult group activities.
The new headcount of 30 adults is an upper maximum only. You may find that with social distancing in place, the practical capacity of your venue is well below this. Social distancing still requires 2m spacing, or 1m plus masks. The latter may require some of your attendees to self-isolate if anyone from your group tests positive.
Below you will find more information and practical considerations for running covid secure parent & child classes.
Please be aware that the majority of the document was written in late 2020 when classes were last permitted to run. We will update this further as new guidelines are issued and updated in 2021.
Useful Links
* DFE Covid Helpline – 0800 046 8687, contact form on their website: https://form.education.gov.uk/service/Contact_the_Department_for_Education
* Current Lockdown Legislation – https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1374/schedule/3A
* https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ – check rates and trends in your local area
* Guidance in Scotland – https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-organised-activities-for-children/pages/mother-and-baby-groups/
Introduction
This document aims to reflect England’s existing government guidelines and share how they are being interpreted and implemented by the baby & toddler sector at present.
Happity has coordinated the input of a wide range of practitioners into this document. It draws together information that is currently spread across a number of different guidelines – much of which has not been written with the challenges of our sector in mind.
It aims to summarise how the current guidelines are being used in practice to enable baby & toddler groups to operate both safely, and in a viable manner (financially, if they are commercial and practically, if they are community-run). Practitioners should not use this as an instructive document itself – but rather, as a useful guide as to where they can find information in the official guidelines when making their own decisions over how to run classes.
Disclaimer: the official guidance documents change frequently, and whilst we aim to keep this document updated as much as possible, you will need to refer back to the original guidance linked within.
If you would like to receive updates via email as this document evolves, please subscribe here.
Context
A number of Government ministers and MPs have stated their support for our sector to re-open and operate, as well as recognised the importance of our sector in supporting the health, wellbeing and development of children and their families.
The baby & toddler sector faces unique challenges in managing the risks of covid. Unlike other activities, classes involve both adults and children participating together, and can cover a very wide range of different types of activity, including sports, fitness, music, drama, dancing and much more. It includes commercial businesses, as well as a significant amount of volunteer-run or community provision.
Happity has worked hard during the pandemic to secure recognition for the sector and gain new guidelines since first creating this document. Changes that have since come forth include:
- A ‘Parent & Child Group’ specific section added to the legislation
- Specific sections in the guidelines Actions for early years and childcare providers and Protective measures for holiday and after-school clubs, and other out-of-school settings
- Principles for safer singing
Other commonly referred to guidelines for our sector include:
- Guidance for the safe use of places of worship
- Performing arts
- Providers of grassroots sport and gym/leisure facilities
- Face coverings: when to wear one
- Maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace
As none of the above guidance was written with our sector in mind, some of the guidelines do not apply to children under the age of 5, or they have not been written for settings where parents are in attendance. Others have been created with reference to groups of adults meeting.
This means a great deal of care needs to be taken as to how and why each part of the guidelines may or may not apply in our settings – keeping classes safe, whilst enabling a sector, that provides a crucial service for families, to survive.
Operational Guidance
- Risk assessment and basic mitigation
Class providers should undertake a thorough risk assessment before resuming face to face classes, and follow the core public health guidance, covering the basics of good hygiene and essential mitigation (i.e. washing / sanitising hands, social distance, ventilation). They can contact local Environmental Health Officers for additional assistance with plans and discuss them with their venues. There are also a wide range of covid-safety training courses available online.
- Headcount Limits
Parent and child groups can take place with 30 participants, not counting children under 5 or the facilitators working or volunteering in that number.
This is an upper bound only and your actual number limits should be set bearing in mind the space of the venue. It’s strongly advisable to also keep a track of the number of siblings attending, particularly as a single carer for multiple children will find it more challenging to maintain social distancing.
The parent and child group exception doesn’t distinguish between outdoors and indoors and the 30 person limit applies for both. This also applies for parent and child exercise classes. It’s a smaller number than is permitted for general adult exercise classes, due to the expectation that parents are likely to wish to connect and speak to one another. The headcount of 30 supports this level of ‘mingling’, where it wouldn’t ordinarily be allowed (e.g. under the rule of 6).
- Social Distancing
The Parent & Child Guidance says:
Settings should follow the advice in this guidance to ensure that participants follow the system of controls, which will help towards mitigating the risks of coronavirus (COVID-19) for all children and adults in the setting. It is important for group participants to maintain social distancing between adults who do not live together and who are not in the same bubble and good hand hygiene.
There is no direct reference to social distancing amongst children. The DfE has clarified to us directly that:
“ minimising contact between individuals can reduce the number of children, parents, carers and staff required to self-isolate in the event of a group member testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). Therefore, whilst participating in these activities parents and children should minimise contact between individuals and maintain social distancing wherever possible.
Social distancing reduces risk of transmission and infection, but there will be some situations where it is not possible. This is likely to occur between young children, who will find preserving consistent distance more challenging (whether indoors, or outside). Where it is not possible for children in the group to maintain social distancing, it is even more important that providers implement other protective measures, such as frequent cleaning and hand-washing.”
Most commonly, providers are seeking to maintain a 2m distance between participants by marking out a space for each family to use during the class, either by tape or by using mats which families stay upon. Distances are measured edge to edge, rather than middle to middle.
This helps to reduce the number of people who may be required to isolate in the case of a positive test.
If this distance is not viable for a class to run, some providers are taking a ‘1m plus’ approach. This approach requires families to keep face masks on at all times (unless an exemption applies). There is increased risk with this approach as this places families within the definition of ‘close contact’ (close contact is defined as within 2m for 15 minutes, within 1m for 1 minute, or physical contact). If this is the case, best practice is to make a note of where families are positioned in the room to help assist NHS Test & Trace.
However, it’s extremely difficult and stressful for parents to enforce strict social distancing amongst toddlers, and could lead to a poor learning environment. But equally, allowing toddlers to roam freely just as they would do in the past, could pose an increased risk to adults as this makes social distancing harder for carers to maintain.
Class providers therefore need to use their judgement as to how strictly social distancing is required of toddlers in their classes based on the type of activity, and how much it affects the ability of adults to maintain their distance.
Many class providers are taking a pragmatic approach to this and incorporate the principles of distancing into the content of their classes. They encourage children to stay with their adults within their ‘special islands’ and coach parents on supporting their children with this.
Parents are asked to refrain from leaving their designated spaces where possible, but can retrieve wandering toddlers safely if needed, wearing a face mask. Young children in the covid era are more able to remain close by to their parents, and will quite often have a wander but soon return to parents of their own accord.
For stay & play style groups, providers have implemented social distancing by having ‘zoned’ activity areas and rotating families between areas in small groups or pods together, thus limiting the numbers in any one area at any given time.
- Face Coverings
Children under the age of 11 are not required to wear a covering, and children under the age of 3 must NOT wear a face covering.
For adults, the guidance for Multipurpose Facilities states:
‘On entering a community facility users will be required to wear a face covering, and will be required to keep it on, unless covered under a ‘reasonable excuse’. This could be for a gym class, if users need to eat or drink something, or if they have a health or disability reason to not wear one. Face coverings can be removed if users are undertaking exercise or an activity where it would negatively impact their ability to do so. See guidance on wearing face coverings.’
The guidance on face coverings also provides an additional exemption and allows coverings to be removed ‘if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate’. (See ‘When you do not need to wear a face covering’).
As one of the key purposes of baby and toddler classes is to develop communication skills, this is seen as a valid reason for removing face coverings, especially as the interaction is between a parent and their own child.
It is also stated in the Early Years Settings Guidance that “face coverings are not necessary when adults are interacting with children, even where social distancing is not possible. Face coverings may have a negative impact on interactions between staff and children.”
Many providers are therefore taking a ‘mask to mat’ approach, particularly if the class is specifically aimed at developing communication skills. The primary purpose of using face coverings is to reduce transmission between adults, so carers are asked to wear coverings at any time they are moving around. They may only be removed if seated, stationary and communicating with their own child. The risk can then be mitigated by ensuring carers are spaced at least 2m apart. This is consistent with official guidance in Scotland specifically for the baby & toddler sector.
The guidance does seem to technically allow for masks to also be removed even at distances below 2m – however, this appears to be very rare in practice, especially as many classes have some level of group singing or talking involved. (See also Singing.)
- Shared Resources
The most relevant guidance on how to mitigate risks around shared resources can be found in Playgrounds (outdoor settings), soft plays (indoor settings), and Early Years settings.
The Early Years document is particularly helpful with measures listed under ‘Handling equipment and instruments for organised sessions’, and the Soft Play guidance says ‘Roleplay props will also be considered as single-use items and a suitable system must be in place for the handling, cleaning and sanitisation of props to facilitate this’.
In all of the guidelines, the emphasis is on having an extensive cleaning and sanitisation programme, and limiting sharing wherever possible – particularly where it includes props or smaller items that a child is likely to put in their mouths.
In practice, class providers are switching to materials that are easy to clean as far as possible, avoiding soft toys and swapping to disposable materials. They are also making the process more manageable by encouraging parents to bring and use their own props only; either from home or by preparing a kit bag for the class that carers can purchase.
If props are being provided by the class provider as single-use items, then it’s important to have a good system for managing this, e.g. clearly labelled tubs for used items to go into, ready for cleaning between sessions. If an item cannot be easily cleaned (and is not disposable), then in-line with the guidance for schools and Place of Worship, it could be quarantined for 48 hours (e.g. books) or 72 hours (if plastic) between uses instead.
“Resources that are shared between classes or bubbles … should be cleaned frequently and meticulously and always between bubbles, or rotated to allow them to be left unused and out of reach for a period of 48 hours (72 hours for plastics) between use by different bubbles.”
Where equipment has to be shared within a session (such as certain larger toys in stay and play style classes), then providers are instead managing the risk by limiting the number of children that have access to the equipment at any given time – and asking parents to assist with cleaning equipment periodically during the session. The overall headcount limit of 30 adults also supports with reducing risk, as well as handwashing and sanitiser.
Although there is no specific guidance in England on the risks of certain common materials, it’s noted that Appendix 9 of Infection Prevention and Control for Childcare Settings Guidance in Wales (prepared before Covid) states that “play dough and plasticine should not be used during any outbreak of an infection.” Class providers have also switched to using electric powered bubble blowers (if using at all)
- Singing
This was previously a particularly difficult area to navigate. New guidance was published on 20 November to set out some principles for safer singing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-suggested-principles-of-safer-singing/covid-19-suggested-principles-of-safer-singing
The role of group singing is fundamental in a large number of baby & toddler groups and has a clear purpose in child development. Class sizes are also significantly smaller than in other settings (such as events and churches), and only typically run for short periods of 30-40 minutes.
On 12 April 2021, additional guidance was published to suggest singing in parent & child groups should be restricted to no more than 6 ADULTS including the class leader when indoors. It must be the same 6 for the duration of the session.
As of 17 May, singing may take place outdoors in larger groups of up to 30 PEOPLE. Children are counted in this number. If you have more attendees, you can split them into multiple groups. Please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/actions-for-early-years-and-childcare-providers-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic#parent-and-child-groups
Some of the possible mitigations to help make singing safer include:
- Extended social distancing (min 2m)
- Singing at a spoken / soft level
- Use of a microphone for the practitioner
- Softer background music levels
- Increased ventilation
- Keeping face masks on
- Further reducing class sizes
- Increasing other types of interaction such as clapping / tapping and reducing the amount of singing content
- Refreshments
It was previously common practice to offer families a drink and a snack during playgroups. However, there is no consistent approach on this at present, with some venues permitting refreshments within their risk assessment, and others that are not.
The guidance for Close Contact Services (such as Hairdressers) states “Salons can provide hot or cold drinks to clients in disposable cups or bottles. Practitioners should encourage clients to only remove their mask to consume the drink. When clients have removed their masks, practitioners should ensure they are socially distanced from the client (2m, or 1m with mitigations).”
There is also some information in the Places of Worship guidance about how to safely manage the distribution of food and drink.
You may wish to change your policy on this depending on the local conditions and the views of your venue / local environmental health officer.
- Consistent bubbles
A large part of the baby & toddler sector previously operated on a ‘drop-in’ basis, with no advance bookings. As spaces are currently very limited and demand is high, the majority of services have now moved to a system of pre-booking only.
Many providers are continuing to offer ‘single session’ bookings, as this helps a wider range of families access services. It makes classes more affordable, and helps vulnerable parents who may have trouble committing to a whole term in advance – particularly those who may need extra support with mental wellbeing.
In the Holiday Clubs and Out of School guidelines, the idea of ‘consistent bubbles’ is promoted as being one way to reduce the risk of transmission. It is also mentioned in the Early Years guidelines as a way to mitigate the risk around singing groups.
However, this approach represents a big shift for the baby & toddler sector where classes typically run once per week, rather than daily (as in the case of Holiday Clubs or Early Years groups).
Implementing a ‘bubble’ approach would have a substantial impact on the number of families that can be served by any one class – and the wider impact on health and society of this needs to be taken into account. For example, a 10-week term of 10 spaces in normal times could potentially reach up to 100 different families on a drop-in basis, running once per week. If the sector was to follow a ‘consistent bubbles’ policy, it would mean that the same amount of provision is now only able to serve 10 different families, whilst having only a limited impact on minimising risk.
Instead, it would be more appropriate to issue guidance to carers to a) limit the number of different classes they attend in any given week, b) space these out rather than attending classes on consecutive days, c) where possible, attend classes with the same small group of friends to reduce the number of different individuals they are exposed to (noting the area specific guidance depending on alert level).
- NHS Test & Trace and QR Codes
All classes should maintain a record of attendance to assist NHS Test & Trace and update their Privacy Policy accordingly. (See Guidance on Maintaining records for what to collect and for how long). For most classes, the best way to manage this is by taking bookings in advance through an online system like Happity.
QR Codes are designed to help assist Test & Trace. In most instances, class providers will be operating in venues that already have a QR code displayed – so it will not be necessary to generate their own code (unless they prefer to – in e.g. an especially large venue).
It is up to your participants as to whether they wish to use the QR codes. However, in hospitality venues, it is legally required for attendees to provide contact details – either by allowing you to keep a record of their attendance in your register, or scanning the code if not. If they do not provide contact details for an event in a hospitality venue, they must be refused entry.
- What to do if Someone Tests Positive
Contact the DfE helpline for advice – 0800 046 8687, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm. They will be able to assist you with information to send to your customers. The incubation period for covid19 is around 5-6 days on average, but can be more or less; and positive cases may be infectious from up to 2 days before experiencing symptoms. Class providers that have had good social distancing, hygiene and cleaning measures in place, have typically not been required by Test and Trace to close their classes.
Last updated 28 May 2021
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