A WORRYING and uncertain time for families has been made confusing after Michael Gove gave conflicting advice to separated parents.
Piers Morgan has blasted the Cabinet minister for wrongly suggesting that kids of divorced parents CANNOT see both of them during the lockdown.
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Can separated parents still see their children during lockdown?
To fight the spread of coronavirus, the government has beefed up measures to keep as many people as possible at home – and away from offices, public transport, parks and shops.
We are allowed to leave our houses for just four reasons: exercising; buying food and medicine; attending any medical needs, or travelling to or from work.
Rule-breakers could cop a fine.
It wasn't initially made clear, though, whether a child moving between separated parents' houses would be included as an authorised purpose.
After confusing families, the government has now confirmed that kids under 18 CAN be moved between their parents' homes.
What did Michael Gove say on Good Morning Britain?
During an interview this morning on ITV's GMB, the Cabinet minister told Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid: "You should not be moving children from home to home."
But then, just minutes later on BBC News, Gove was forced to correct his response, and clarified that kids would be able to see both parents.
He said: "On a previous broadcast on Good Morning Britain, I stressed – where possible – this [moving] should be kept to a minimum.
"It is the case that children under the age of 18 can see both parents.
"I was not clear earlier."
His about-turn had Morgan fuming on Twitter that it was "very damaging when government gets such important advice so wrong".
To make matters worse, Gove's initial information on GMB was quickly shared among separated parents on social media.
What are the rules on moving children between households?
Assuming that "no-one in either household is showing symptoms of the coronavirus, then child arrangements should continue as normal.
"And parents are permitted to travel between each other's houses to facilitate this", says Bristol-based family law and divorce solicitor, Samantha Hickman.
She adds: “The terms of your Child Arrangement Order will still apply and should be complied with unless this presents a risk to the child or another person.
"Child Arrangement Orders (and other agreements made between parents) tend to set out the arrangements during term time and then separate arrangements for school holidays.
"However, the situation we find ourselves in now fits into neither of those categories.
"It will be up to the parents to decide together how the children will spend their time while the schools are closed.
"These are not school holidays as such and it is likely that many children will still have school work to complete.
"Therefore, a good structure and routine will be important to children during this unsettling time.
"On this basis, parents may decide that their existing term-time arrangements should continue to ensure stability for the children."
Alternatively, Samantha adds, "some parents will decide that their holiday contact arrangements are more suitable while their children are at home, or they will agree different arrangements all together.
"This may be a practical decision as to how the children's time will be spent during this time as one parent may be able to provide child care while the other parent is at work."
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