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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What Do You Consider A Fever?
CountryRoads 11:23 AM 05-23-2019
My policy has always stated 100.0 or higher goes home. I had just read that 100.3 and higher is considered a fever?

I'm super paranoid about fevers even since I had HFM come in and wipe out everybody - including my own child. It was awful.

I sent a child home for a 100.3 fever and wondering if I shouldn't have? What is your temperature cut-off?
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Snowmom 11:30 AM 05-23-2019
100 is my policy
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e.j. 11:39 AM 05-23-2019
For me, it depends on whether the child has any other symptoms along with an elevated temp. I'll send someone home if the temp is 99, they're fussier than usual, are acting "off", seem overly tired, have glassy looking eyes, have been exposed to an illness that comes with a temp, etc. If their temp is 99 and they're eating and playing normally, I keep an eye on it. If it reaches 100 or more, it's on it's way up so I call for pick up at that point.
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Ariana 11:43 AM 05-23-2019
97.3 under the arm is a call to pick up.
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Mom2Two 12:20 PM 05-23-2019
I don’t put a number on it. If a child is not acting like themselves I watch them a little while to make sure of what I’m seeing, then I call it.
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Jo123ABC 12:21 PM 05-23-2019
100.4 is when I consider it... based on other symptoms too. If they're at 100.4 though and not fussy or anything I will just keep checking for any change and keep a close eye.
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Cat Herder 12:38 PM 05-23-2019
101 sustained for 30 minutes or more.

Children will run short fevers periodically as their immune system matures. If it goes away in under 30 minutes and is accompanied by no other symptoms, it means the immune system is working as it should.
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Indoorvoice 12:50 PM 05-23-2019
I don't send home until it reaches 101 usually if they are acting ok. If they are really out of it, I will call for 100. I had a parent argue with me yesterday and today that their child was just teething but I sent home at 100 yesterday because he couldn't do anything besides lay on the floor and whimper.
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Ariana 01:03 PM 05-23-2019
The only reason to take a temp is if the child is acting off so I am assuming the child is acting off to begin with if I am taking his temperature. So 97.3 and acting off is a pick up just to clarify further!
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springv 01:27 PM 05-23-2019
Our policy is that if a child has a fever of 98.6 or higher on the thermometer plus a degree added, we send home
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AmyKidsCo 01:34 PM 05-23-2019
For me it's 101. If there's a fever I check again in 10 min before contacting the parents. Usually it's pretty obvious they're sick before I take it the first time.
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littlefriends 02:06 PM 05-23-2019
Mine says 100 or higher but I don’t always call. I have one kid that just runs a little hot naturally.
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lovemykidstoo 04:32 AM 05-24-2019
Originally Posted by Ariana:
97.3 under the arm is a call to pick up.
This is confusing. 97.3 under the arm you then add a degree is still below normal.

I had one just yesterday at pickup mom thought he felt warm. She got him home and it was 100.5. She texted this morning it got up over 102 in the middle of the night and he was crabby as all get out.
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DaveA 04:37 AM 05-24-2019
101 on its own or 100.5 with another symptom is my call for pickup point.
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Jupadia 08:23 AM 05-24-2019
I useally call at 37c or 100f. I take it by forehead but will sometimes double check under arm (then add degree). But it also depends on child, my youngest always runs a little bit hotter and develops a 37 degree fever with some colds, but is fine other then slight cough. Right now I just send him to Nanas for day but if that was not an option I would just have him play. He did the same while teething. So I do also base it by how child is acting.
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Ariana 10:57 AM 05-24-2019
Originally Posted by lovemykidstoo:
This is confusing. 97.3 under the arm you then add a degree is still below normal.
Total brain fart!! I meant 37.3 Celsius I am Canadian
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lovemykidstoo 11:36 AM 05-24-2019
Originally Posted by Ariana:
Total brain fart!! I meant 37.3 Celsius I am Canadian
lol I figured that's what you meant hahaha Either that or you are super strict lol
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Ariana 11:46 AM 05-24-2019
Originally Posted by lovemykidstoo:
lol I figured that's what you meant hahaha Either that or you are super strict lol
Maybe my new policy should be send them home with normal temperatures but you still have to pay
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CeriBear 06:00 AM 05-28-2019
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
100 is my policy
That’s the rule at my center as well.
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Blackcat31 06:47 AM 05-28-2019
I go by anything over 100.0F but rarely does a child have a fever without any other symptoms so I guess I've never been in the position that I had to make a call about going home based solely on the fever.
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Jupadia 08:44 AM 05-28-2019
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I go by anything over 100.0F but rarely does a child have a fever without any other symptoms so I guess I've never been in the position that I had to make a call about going home based solely on the fever.
Neither had I till my own youngest. But this kid can feel like he has a fever when you hug him. Heat will radiate from his head like crazy. The rest of his body will feel normal.
Colds, teething can give him a barely there fever, just enough to register. Thankfully he is mine so I can keep him, but what he would have cost me in days off work if he went somewhere else is ridiculous.
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Daycaremomma01 04:48 AM 05-29-2019
My contract says 100.3, but will call for pick up with any fever at all if child is clearly uncomfortable/unwell or accompanied by other concerning symptoms. (Like cough, runny nose, pulling at ears, excessively tired or cranky, whining/crying because they don’t feel well and so on.)
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