Staggered drop-off times, socially distant queues and shoe-sanitising were all part of the new regime as childcare services reopened their doors this morning.
While there was some tears and lingering goodbyes at two crèches we visited this morning, there was smiles, skipping and shouts of joy - and that wasn't just the children - as babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers returned to the places they are cared for, following a more than three-and-a-half month absence.
While children are now divided into groups known as pods, in reality things don't look very different to before. These pods are generally in line with the rooms or groupings that crèches normally operate for children of different age groups.