I don't administer medications either. other than topical products I don't have anything in my policies about exceptions. I do this because I don't want clients to start asking me for a bunch of reasons why I should make an exception for them when it's not necessary (one example, I had a client with a little boy that believed whole hearted that everything required antibiotics. DCB was given so much since so little that they stopped working on him and later he repeatedly got chronic earaches and DCM wanted me to administer antibiotics when she could just as easily give them at home) but if a client has a need due to some type of special need I can make the decision to make an exception if I like (I do have a DCG with allergies to ALOT and asthma so I made an exception for an inhaler and epi pen)

Here is what I have:

Medication
The childcare provider will not administer any type of medication at daycare. This includes prescription and non-prescription medication. If a child needs medication of any kind a dosage schedule must be set up that does not include the hours that the child is in care. Clients are required to notify the childcare provider any time that their child is on any type of medication so that we can look out for possible reactions to the medication.

Keep in mind that fever reducers and pain relievers do not cure illnesses, they simply mask symptoms. If a child is given any form of fever reducer or pain reliever then this means that the child is not well enough to attend daycare and is required to be kept home for a minimum of 24 hours from the time that the last dosage was given.

Do not send a sick child to daycare by giving a fever/pain reducer to mask the symptom. The effects of the medication will eventually wear off (usually between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. if given in the morning) and it will be apparent to the childcare provider that the child was given medication. In the day care field this is commonly known as the "dope and drop". Giving a child fever/pain reducer and bringing a child to daycare are immediate grounds for termination.

Topical products such as lotion, diaper rash ointment, sunscreen, children’s toothpaste, etc. are the only exception but require written consent. Topical products must be provided by the client in unopened and original containers and labeled with the child’s name and must remain at the daycare at all times.

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