The Department of Education has announced that school-aged children in daycare programs may still attend daycare during the two-week circuit breaker period.

The department says school-aged children may avail of these services during the period ending on February 26. This applies to children whose parents must leave the home for work under Alert Level 5.

Parents who choose to send their child must pay the provider directly for the service. Clients who don’t send their children do not have to pay while their child is not there, and the department will reimburse the centre for the lost fees.

School-aged children will be allowed to bring their devices to participate in online learning. However, childcare providers are not required to ensure the child is participating—as they may not have the capacity or wifi access to do so.

This two-week practice is being put in place without requiring online learning, recognizing the concerns raised by some essential workers.

Any parents availing of this system are asked to contact the school to discuss offline learning after hours.

This system will be re-evaluated should Alert Level 5 extend beyond the two-week period.