How do you word your sick sibling policy?
Do you have a "sick family member" policy?

I'm working on my policies for the year and I don't want kids coming in when their mother, father, sibling is home throwing up or has pink eye, or whatever... How do you word this?

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Ugh...I have wanted to have a sick sibling policy forever, but I don't have the nerve.

It always ends up that the sibling gets sick and then all the kids end up double exposed to the illness. Can't wait to see what others say......

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I haven't thought of this and haven't put anything in my policy about it but that is a good thing to remember. How about this:

"Illnesses tend to run in families, this means when one child (or any family member living the home) is showing signs of an illness such as a cold, chances are the child's sibling has already been exposed to the virus which may take a few hours to a day before symptoms will show. The child can still be a carrier for the illness which increased the likelihood of it spreading, because illnesses are most contagious before symptoms show. It is for this reason that it is manditory that if one child in a family stays home due to illness that, their siblings stay home as well for at least 24 hours, until their symptoms are gone, or unless they have a doctors note. If one child becomes ill during daycare hours you will be asked to pick up all your children from daycare and take them home for the rest of the day. These measures will help to prevent the cycle of illnesses in daycare which means more health days for everyone."

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I have a sick sibling policy and it's just straight forward: "If you have siblings in my care and one of them is sick please keep both of them home".
When I have a family sign on that has more than one child I make it very clear that both children need to stay home if one of them is ill. I do not make them stay home if a parent is ill. I think as adults we are at least cautious not to get our children sick but young children can't remember to stay away from their siblings, not to kiss them, etc.
I don't have any siblings right now but I did just term a family of 3 and when they were here I didn't have this policy. Every time one of them were sick they all ended up getting sick and we all ended up catching it. I remember once the youngest was home sick and mom brought the other two. I asked her if she was at least keeping them away from their sibling when they weren't here and she laughed like I was crazy so it's no wonder they all get sick. I've had this happen way too much with siblings in the past.
Never again.

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I have a similar problem, but the siblings are school age and not in my care. However, when they get sick DCM keeps little brother home with them all day - and then sends him back after being exposed to the illness for a few full days. Therefore almost guaranteeing that he has caught it and will bring it to the entire daycare. Either way he was exposed to the illness, but if they had sent him to daycare when they kept her home, he would have experienced less exposure and slightly lessened the chance that my DCK would get the bug.

I don't know what the best option is in that scenario - but it seems like there is just a ton of exposure to illnesses from older siblings. And you have to know the DCB is carrying the illness - and bringing it into the daycare - but I can't exclude on the basis of "probable future illness".

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I agree. In my case I find that by sending the healthy child to dc, the parents are keeping the ill child isolated. 9 times out of 10, no one else gets sick - including the sibling.
I wonder for those who have that policy, how it's recieved?

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I just started dealing with this since I have a new sibling of one of my current DCG. DCG was recently sick with the runs, her brother came and this is when I first thought about what this could mean! Anyway, DCB came every day and DCG was kept home. It managed to stay out of the daycare and DCB never did get it. Of course this won't always be the case, but this time it worked out.

I don't see writing this into my policies as being very well taken by anyone. IMO it's like saying a SA'er can't come into my care if someone else in his/her class has been sick!? I really don't see how all sickies can be avoided, and trust me I'm very OCD, but for something like this (especially just a cold) I can't see excluding and not making someone upset! Now if it's HFM or chicken pox I would certainly speak to the parents, but for simple colds, coughs etc. I don't see how you can tell them not to come!

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I don't have a sibling sick policy. I think that it tends to be too much. There are so many times that one of my own kids gets sick and neither of the two get it. There are so many different places they can be exposed to germs that siblings are probably the least of my concern. For example right now my oldest has his set of friends plus his job where he could be exposed. My middle and my youngest are in two different schools (one middle and one elementary), are in different activities (bowling and band for the middle, swimming and scouts for the youngest) where they are exposed to different sets of germs, add in church, friends, store, etc and who know which kid will catch what. That doesn't even bring into account my dck's. Both sets have a parent who is a teacher so they are exposed to everything going around and the other parent has another job that could also expose them and one of the kids has an older sibling who is in elementary school. Plus there are many cases where either a child has no symptoms when they are the most contagious or where they may be a carrier and not ever have symptoms.

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I Never thought about it that way! now i'm not sure I want to add it. hmmm

It does concern me when someone brings one kid and the other one is home either vomiting or having pink eye. Those two illnesses really gross me out.

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From my PARENT HANDBOOK:

Your child MUST BE SYMPTOM FREE for 24 hours before returning to daycare. Basically this means if you are contacted to pick your child up from care due to fever, diarrhea, or vomiting...

they automatically MAY NOT RETURN the following day of care.

IF your child vomits during the evening hours, or during the middle of the night.. PLEASE do not bring your child to care.

Common sense 'sibling policy': If one sibling is ill...please do not bring the well child to care. Logic would dictate that if one child is ill...the well child is NEXT.

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I don't exclude the sibling if it just a cold or even a fever with no other symptoms. My sibling policy is more for vomiting and contagious illnesses that can be dangerous.
I've never thought about it from the other side like if they send the child to daycare at least they aren't with the sick child all day. I will have to give it some more thought. It seems to me most parents don't make any attempt to exclude the sibling on nights or the weekend and in the past I would have to say that the majority of the time the siblings get sick here.
I nice had a sibling out for the flu but the 2 older siblings came....they ended up vomiting everywhere.
Maybe a compromise would be telling parents to keep siblings separated and to properly disinfect the house if they want the sibling to attend.

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21 years of experience...

Agreed on the common cold..
BUT...if they have temperature..
THROW UP...
Diarrhea...
The other kid is getting it next...
I can't tell you how many times in 21 years it has happened...

I had a mom a few years ago...
The older sibling wasn't even in my daycare...
so obviously... if she had NOT MENTIONED IT..
I wouldn't have ever known..
She ran really late that day..
(THIS WAS BEFORE I IMPLEMENTED THE 9:30 a.m. cut off time)
She finally shows up with the 2 year old.. apologizes for showing up late..
says.. older sister (school age) has been throwing up all morning...
I just stop in my tracks... and stare at her...
WHAT? she says..
I said.. did it not occur to you that the little sister will be next with the stomach virus?
NO...
she's fine..
No problems at all..
I said well..
I hope she isn't next...because... when I get it..
I close the daycare down.. that causes 12 families to be without childcare...
She said.. OH I really think she is fine...
She took two steps toward the door.. 2 year old cried for mama.. she turns to kiss her goodbye.. 2 year old throws up all over her shoes..
The mom looks at me... HORRIFIED.. MORTIFIED..
she grabs her child.. apologizes.. .and goes out the door...
2 days later..
I closed the daycare... BECAUSE I HAD IT...
That is when I implemented the sibling policy..

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