As nurseries close around the country, more and more key workers are being made to make difficult choices with their children.
Harry is 4, and Evie is 6.
Doctor Adele Holland is one of those nurses, as she has had to give up her children due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Under the Government’s guidance, only a handful of children should be going to school; those who’s parents are key workers. But because most nurseries are private businesses, it wasn’t seen as beneficial to stay open for only a few students.
Adele, a single, working mother with two children, knew she had to make the difficult decision to give up her children after her childminder stopped working.
“My choice was either stay at home with my children and not work, knowing that all of this including the shortages of NHS staff was going on,” she says.
“Or the other option was to lose my children for three months.”
Harry and Evie, her children, are staying with close family. Evie at her Grandmothers house, and Harry with Adele’s ex-partner.
Considering the fact Adele’s mother is shielding, and the lockdown, she no doubt knew that she may not see them for months.
“It’s hard because my kids are everything to me,” she says. “They are my world and I miss them so much.
“I cried a lot, Evie rings me at night sometimes, she uses my mum’s phone. We just lay in bed with the phone next to my face. For her, three months is such a long time.”
If this doesn’t highlight the sacrifices NHS workers are making, I don’t know what does.
But for those few nurseries that do remain open, a department of Education spokesperson thanked nurseries and childcare providers, saying: “This is a vital part of our fight against coronavirus.
“We are monitoring the availability of provision, including for NHS staff closely.
“If any critical workers do not have access to their usual childcare place they should continue to contact their LA (local authority) to arrange an alternative.
“We are continuing to work with PHE and follow their advice. Safety will always be the priority.”
