In Need of Serious Advice....Sick Policy and DCM
 

First happy Friday everyone!
So, the stomach bug has been spreading through our area and my home daycare. My entire family has had it ,I have sent a DCK home with it this week and now I believe my 7mo DCB has it. Yesterday there was not many moments through out the day he didn't fuss. Today he has had 3 loose stools, so loose that its run out of his diaper/clothes onto me and the daycare room floor. Explosive! My sick policy states that if a DCK has 2 or more loose/watery stools they will need to be picked up and wont be allowed to return until symptom free for 24 hours. I call DCM to inform her that her child is sick and she will need to pick up. I even told her that I could keep him till lunch time so she could at least get a half day of work in. She then told me that she couldn't leave work and asked if had a fever, she said if he didn't have a fever then I shouldn't call her to pick up. So now I'm upset. This is not the first time that this has happened with this DCM. I understand that its hard for parents to take off of work but I also feel as a parent its your responsibility to take care of your child when they are sick. Am I wrong for thinking that way? Because I seem to keep having issues with this DCM following my sick policy I'm thinking of either putting this family on some type of probation or just giving them 2 weeks to find other care. I am new to the daycare world and I don't like being mean but I also don't like being taken advantage of so I feel stuck.

She is being ridiculous and unreasonable. I think your first mistake was offering to care for the child until lunch- it gives her some leverage to keep pushing the time back, since you aren't making it out to be a big deal. I know you are trying to help her out, but she doesn't deserve it! On top of that, the child NEEDS to go home. Any poop that is coming out of the diaper and onto the floor is a hygiene/health hazard, and the child can't stay. In lieu of the fact that the bug is going around, I would call for immediate pick up and sanitize the house like crazy.
Do not let her get away with not picking up, or she will continue to take advantage of you in all sorts of ways. Good luck!

This is YOUR policy, not her's, SHE doesn't get to make the decision whether or not her child stays or goes.

Stick to your policy, tell her she has to pick up within the hour or you will start calling her emergency contacts (which she should do herself).

I am a softie, too, but you will be taken advantage of in the future if you don't stick to your policies now, especially regarding illness.

If she gives you a hard time then maybe it is time for her to move on.

I am in a crabby mood today, so I would be telling the dcm to pick up(or to arrange someone to pickup) within 1 hour. If she refuses do so, then baby will no longer be enrolled in daycare & she can spend the weekend looking for a new provider with a sick kid on her hands.

You are doing the right thing by telling her to pick up . Fever or not he has D , your policy states that he will be sent home .

Because of things like this I have re-done my policy , it is now an symptom exclusion policy . I exclude for symptoms that way there is no discussion about the dck being sick or not , they have the symptom they go home .

When I call a dcparent for pick up they have a half hour to get their child. If they are late it's a fee. I would terminate the parent today for blatant disrespect.

Originally Posted by mrsmichelle:
She is being ridiculous and unreasonable. I think your first mistake was offering to care for the child until lunch- it gives her some leverage to keep pushing the time back, since you aren't making it out to be a big deal. I know you are trying to help her out, but she doesn't deserve it! On top of that, the child NEEDS to go home. Any poop that is coming out of the diaper and onto the floor is a hygiene/health hazard, and the child can't stay. In lieu of the fact that the bug is going around, I would call for immediate pick up and sanitize the house like crazy.
Do not let her get away with not picking up, or she will continue to take advantage of you in all sorts of ways. Good luck!

Thank you for the advice! You are right about her continuing to take advantage! I've let this DCM get away with it before and she's going to keep doing it.

Originally Posted by Second Home:
You are doing the right thing by telling her to pick up . Fever or not he has D , your policy states that he will be sent home .

Because of things like this I have re-done my policy , it is now an symptom exclusion policy . I exclude for symptoms that way there is no discussion about the dck being sick or not , they have the symptom they go home .

This is a very good idea. Thank you!

I would call back and calmly and slightly cheerful I would tell her something like ...

"I'm calling again because I was at a loss for words earlier and didn't know what to say as I have never had a client outright tell me that they weren't going to follow my sick policy. I've gathered my thoughts and just wanted to remind you that as per my illness policy that you signed off on any time that any child has 2 or more incidents of diarrhea they need to go home. DCB has had 3. He has leaked out of his diaper onto his clothes, onto me and onto the floor. It has now become a bio-hazard and I have to sanitize and disinfect the floor so that the other children do not come into contact with his feces and I will have to change. I cannot risk another episode. I understand that it is difficult to take time of of work however you signed my contract and therefore must have read the illness policy. I understand if it slipped your mind so I am just reminding you. DCB must be picked up no later than [time], if he leaks again out of his diaper before then I will need you to pick him up immediately. If you can't pick him up yourself I will need you to make arrangements to have him picked up by someone else"

I would discuss that you have a policy that specifically covers diarrhea and that it has nothing to do with fevers because at this point it becomes a health and safety issue with the other children possibly being in contact with his feces. At any time he can be playing and leak out of his diaper without you noticing and another child could sit on or touch it.

Mine states that I exclude if "symptoms" are present. It's not my job to diagnose and say yes, this is the stomach virus that's been going around. But if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck, it must be a friggin duck! I list the common contagious conditions and then also say that exclusion may occur if any other possible contagious condition is present (in case I missed something on my list) or if the child requires more time/attention than I can provide while still caring for the other children.
So tell her,
Dcm, Johnny has had D 3 times and needs immediate pick up. This is a sign of a contagious condition and is also a health hazard as his diapers are not able to contain the mess. I'll see you in about half an hour! Buh bye!
And if she argues again, questions your policies, or doesn't pick up in a timely manner, hand her her two week notice when she arrives.

Originally Posted by Wednesday:
Mine states that I exclude if "symptoms" are present. It's not my job to diagnose and say yes, this is the stomach virus that's been going around. But if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck, it must be a friggin duck! I list the common contagious conditions and then also say that exclusion may occur if any other possible contagious condition is present (in case I missed something on my list) or if the child requires more time/attention than I can provide while still caring for the other children.
So tell her,
Dcm, Johnny has had D 3 times and needs immediate pick up. This is a sign of a contagious condition and is also a health hazard as his diapers are not able to contain the mess. I'll see you in about half an hour! Buh bye!
And if she argues again, questions your policies, or doesn't pick up in a timely manner, hand her her two week notice when she arrives.

LOL likethis

Originally Posted by Play Care:
When I call a dcparent for pick up they have a half hour to get their child. If they are late it's a fee. I would terminate the parent today for blatant disrespect.

Yup. She would be met at the door with a termination notice, with the highlighted sick policy attached. NO WAY would I allow a parent to tell me that they aren't going to follow my sick policies. :eek:

you got some good advice! I suggest you have a good policy, rule, handbook and follow it. 1/2 hour to pick up a child that is being sent home and 24 hours diarrhea free before returning. If the child comes in and still has diarrhea send home and warn parent if it happens again the child is terminated. Your protecting everyone in care- You business you should run it the way you want to run it and not let it be run by the parent. I would call parent back and ask them to pick up asap.

Plus it's Friday, so unless she works on the weekends she has 2 days to take care of her kid to return by Monday. Geesh.

So she still has not come to get her child ?

Originally Posted by Second Home:
So she still has not come to get her child ?

DCB was picked up by DCD at 3:00 today. This is my fault by letting them get away with it. I need to enforce my policies better than what I am.

By not picking the child up when asked she is in violation of your sick policy. Do you have a contract? You need to tell her that not all illnesses have a fever. Did the child end up staying all day? I know it's hard but dont be afraid to stand up for your self.

3pm? That's all day! Wow!!!


Unacceptable. I would have termed ON THE SPOT. No exceptions. Not only is it rude to you, it is also a health hazard to your entire daycare and your business. Additionally it shows that her child is less important to her than her job. I mean seriously. that is a big big problem IMHO

Originally Posted by renodeb:
By not picking the child up when asked she is in violation of your sick policy. Do you have a contract? You need to tell her that not all illnesses have a fever. Did the child end up staying all day? I know it's hard but dont be afraid to stand up for your self.

I do have a contract and a handbook with my sick policy that she signed. I informed her that if she wasn't able to follow my policies she would have to find other care. She said she understood but was probably cussing me the whole way home. :) It's very sad that her job seems so much more important than her child.

Originally Posted by Play Care:
When I call a dcparent for pick up they have a half hour to get their child. If they are late it's a fee. I would terminate the parent today for blatant disrespect.

likethis If she can't respect your rules then term. Its your business not hers. You make the rules not her!

You need an illness policy with no room for interpretation
 

That's my advice for you. The illness policy is one of the administrative duties that challenges most providers because it takes a while to perfect it.

Mine took years to get it the way that I want it.

It's important to make sure that you make it crystal clear that exclusion from care is done at your discretion. Also, cover every single possible outcome that could happen and how long a child will be excluded and the specific conditions under which the child can return. Always be specific about things like stating that a child can return to care after being symptom free without these of medication for "XX" hours. Break it down in your contact as if you were explaining it to a child. Leave no wiggle room and ALWAYS enforce your illness policy!