This petition was rejected

The Government e-Petitions Team gave the following reason:

As a result of petitions like yours and campaigners, the Government has recently updated its guidance so that it explicitly mentions these groups, meaning that many are now clearly exempt from gatherings limits. The official exemptions in all tiers include:

• Supervised activities provided for children, including wraparound care (before and after-school childcare), groups and activities for under 18s, and children’s playgroups, for formal support groups, and parent and child groups – up to 15 people aged five and older.

• In the guidance for early years and childcare providers, the following exemptions are included:

- Parent and child groups that meet in Ofsted registered settings can operate in all local restriction tiers.
- Groups meeting in community spaces, such as in a place of worship, community centre or library, can operate in all local restriction tiers and should follow COVID secure guidance for the venue.

You can read the full guidance here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures#parent-and-child-groups

You may be interested to know that as a result of a large petition, the House of Commons Petitions Committee (the group of MPs who oversee petitions submitted to petition.parliament.uk) investigated the impact of Covid on maternity and parental leave and put pressure on the Government to ensure that these groups could go ahead, and that the sector was supported.

You can read about the Petitions Committee’s inquiry and report here: houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/how-has-maternity-and-parental-leave-been-impacted-by-coronavirus-/index.html

You can read a letter to the Government from the Committee about baby and toddler groups here: committees.parliament.uk/publications/2699/documents/26695/default/
And the Government’s reply here: committees.parliament.uk/publications/2970/documents/28398/default/

Chair of the Petitions Committee, Catherine McKinnell has said:

“The recent addition of parent, baby and toddler groups to the list of exemptions from gathering limits in all tiers is a clear, if long overdue, acknowledgement by the Government that they are vital to young families and our society as a whole.

“Our inquiry heard compelling evidence from new parents and experts on how crucial these groups can be for the mental health of new parents, providing support and a much-needed lifeline at such an important time in their lives.

“This addition to the guidance on exemptions is testament to our petitioners and campaigners who worked tirelessly to demand clarity for the sector, and of the power of the petitions system.

“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.”