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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Share your sick policy?
aDCProvider 10:11 AM 06-04-2013
I feel like my sick policy is too vague and I need more specific regulations on individual cases. Any of you ladies willing to post your sick policy to give me ideas? Or message me if you don't want to post. TIA!
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Blackcat31 10:23 AM 06-04-2013
Here is mine
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aDCProvider 10:52 AM 06-04-2013
Thank you.
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Laurel 12:54 PM 06-04-2013
Medical: I will care for mildly ill children such as a child with a cold. All medicines need to be in their original container and clearly marked. I need written permission to dispense medicines, diaper rash ointment, sunscreen, etc. You will be asked to keep your child home if fever, diarrhea or vomiting is present or for any more serious symptoms or illnesses. Please let me know if you find your child has any condition that might affect the other children as soon as you know. Things that come to mind are pink eye or head lice. Please don't feel embarrassed about head lice. We rarely have a problem with them but we have had a case in the past. I need to take precautions and know so that it doesn't spread to other children.

That's it. I don't make it long and drawn out because the above makes it so "I" can decide. I've never had a problem with telling parents they shouldn't bring their child or should take them home because of this or that symptom.

Laurel
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MarinaVanessa 01:19 PM 06-04-2013
Here's mine:

Illness Policy
We understand that all children have minor illnesses from time to time that do not prevent them from attending daycare; however, there are certain circumstances where children cannot attend.

We are a well-child daycare and although we understand that it is an inconvenience for a client to take time off of work when a child cannot attend daycare however there are reasons for the exclusion.

Any time that an ill child doesn’t feel well enough to participate comfortably in activities requires more care than the childcare provider is able to provide without compromising the health & safety of the other children. An ill child can also quickly spread illness to the other children in the group. This is group care and the needs of the group as a whole take priority
Symptoms for Exclusion

Keep your children home if they exhibit any of the listed symptoms. Children must be excluded for 24 hours after the symptoms of the illness have subsided without the aid of medication. Do not confuse this with the onset of symptoms, meaning the 24 hours begin after the child’s symptoms disappear.

If a child is sent home sick, a minimum of 48 hours exclusion will be required.
No matter what the cause is, a child is not able to attend daycare if the child exhibits any symptoms for exclusion. Those include but are not limited to:
 Severe sore throat/coughing/colds or strep throat.
 Fever of 100° F or above.
 Green/yellow discharge from nose or eyes.
 Ear discharge.
 Head lice, nits or scabies.
 Three or more watery stools within 24 hours.
 Two or more occasions of vomiting within 24 hours.
 Severe diaper rash.
 Chicken pox.
 Conjunctivitis (pink eye).
 Mumps, measles, influenza, pertussis
(whooping cough), coupe, impetigo,
tuberculosis, rubella, rosella, etc.
 Any type of body rash.
 Intestinal worms, ringworms, pin worms etc.
 Anything contagious and transmittable.
 Any ailment that requires fever or pain medication
 If the child is too tired or fussy to participate in normal activities.

If a child becomes ill at daycare the client will be contacted and the child will need to be picked up within one hour. During the time spent waiting the ill child will be separated from the other children and given the opportunity to rest.

If a child becomes ill at home please call the childcare provider so that we can look out for signs of spreading illness.

Re-admittance after Exclusion
In certain situations, a medical form must be filled out and returned before your child can be re-admitted into care. These forms require a written diagnosis from the child's physician (not a nurse) and must state the following information:
• The child’s name.
• The diagnosis
• The treatment
• Length of recommended exclusion
• Clearance which states that the child can return to daycare without the risk of infection to others.

It is at the discretion of the childcare provider to determine whether a child can be Re-admitted to daycare. Please do not assume the doctor can give permission for re-admittance.

If the childcare provider deems that the child is not well enough to attend the child is to remain at home.

There are times when a child may be excluded due to the required amount of care he/she needs when experiencing a common cold or illness. For example, a cough that is disruptive to normal daily activities, when a child is unable to cover his/her mouth while coughing or when the amount of nasal discharge or fluid becomes unmanageable for the provider to continue maintaining a sanitary environment. This will occur at the discretion of the childcare provider and will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

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.

Antibiotics
Children that are put on a new regimen of antibiotics must be excluded from daycare for the first twenty-four (24) hours of starting the dosage. This is to minimize the risk of infection to the other children as most antibiotics take a full 24 hours to take effect and render the infection incommunicable. It also helps minimize the risk of the child having a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotic while at daycare. Children exhibiting symptoms for exclusion due to antibiotics must still follow the illness policy.

Immunizations
A copy of every child’s immunization records must be kept in each child’s file. If for any reason a client chooses not to have the child immunized, a “Personal Beliefs Affidavit” must be completed and kept in the child’s file instead.

All children are required to stay home for a minimum of 48 hours after being immunized. Children exhibiting symptoms for exclusion due to immunizations must still follow the illness policy.

We suggest that a child’s immunizations be scheduled on Friday afternoons to minimize the time that a client must take off of work. This way the child’s required recovery time can pass through the weekend.
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Brooksie 04:25 PM 06-04-2013
Sick Child. Maryland law prohibits me from caring for sick children. Therefore, you may NOT bring your sick child to my Home for care. If you give your Child medication to reduce a fever or mask symptoms of illness and bring the sick Child to my Home without telling me about the medication, you will be violating this Agreement, and I will have the right to terminate it immediately. If your child becomes sick while in my care, I will call you, and you must pick up your child promptly. I will keep your sick Child separated from the other children in my care until you arrive. After any illness, your Child must be free of all symptoms (not just fever and vomiting) for at least twenty-four (24) hours before returning to my Home. After a serious illness, your Child will be allowed to return to my Home only with written permission from the Childs’ physician. If your child is put on antibiotics they must wait 24 hours before returning to care. It is your responsibility to find alternate care for your sick Child and to notify me when your sick Child will not be present in my Home on a scheduled Child Care Day. Please inform me of any contagious illness so I may alert the parents of other children exposed to you Child. The definition of a sick child for the purpose of this Agreement shall be a child who has a fever (100 degrees F. or above), vomiting, diarrhea, a runny nose with thick, discolored discharge, a rash of unknown cause, severe pain, extreme listlessness or other dramatic personality change indicating the child is not well, or any other symptom of acute illness, serious transmissible infection or communicable disease.
Your Child should be able to participate in the normal activities of the day. When having to care for sick children, it keeps me from providing quality care to the other children in my Child Care Home. Therefore, you will have one (1) hour to pick up your sick child/ren.
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