24-48hr Sick Policy

[WAHMderful_Life]

I am wanting to re vamp my sick policy as I'm tired of the constant colds. I know its hard for parents to keep kids home for every cold especially the ones that last a while but we can't kick them if they constantly go from kid to kid. what do you do for coughs and runny noses (common colds) that do not have any other symptoms (fever ect)?

I have a 24hr free from fever/vomit/diarrhea without meds. and of course the 24hr window for antibiotics for pink etc.

I plan to put in my contract that children are not to be given any tylenol/advil/ect. in the morning before daycare as i have had some parents that like to dose their kids when they are acting off/grouchy (I don't get that) I never use those medications for my children unless they are fevered or very rarely for other pain.

Now looking through threads i have seen a 48hr rule if kids are sent to daycare sick to keep parents in check as they just don't seem to care that they are exposing everyone else to these sicknesses or the fact that their kid is simply not feeling good and should stay home when feeling that way. what I'm wondering is how you have worded this in your policies?

I find that most of the kids I have don't get more severe sicknesses and just get more coughs/runny noses from common colds and without the fever. I don't know how to enforce kids staying home with colds in order to stop the constant spread do most of you enforce kids with yellow/green runny noses stay home but if its clear runny nose they can be at daycare? what about a constant runny nose vs a clear runny nose that requires wiping maybe twice the whole day. if constantly coughing like every couple minutes they stay home? vs if its a cough every couple hrs is ok?

errrr sick kids are the worst! then you get the one that always get seems to get sick first and seems to spread it to everyone else.

[finsup]

I'm in the process of reviewing and updating mine for the fall (summer we have so little issues it's not even worth it) and have been wondering the same thing. So far, I'm thinking, for colds, children will need to be kept home if they have a consistent, dripping nose or green/yellow mucuos. Clear discharge and just needing tissues here and there, I can manage. For coughs, they will need to be mild, not deep, wet or producing mucuos.
24/48 rule I'm 99% sure I'm adding. I may explain it, I may just include it in there and if anyone asks simply say I sent far too many kids home when parents were very well aware they were sick.

Following to see what others are doing and how they're wording things.

[thrivingchildcarecom]

Unfortunately, if they have "common colds" it is hard to force parents to keep them at home, even if their noses are running or they are constantly coughing. What you might go is encourage the parent's behaviors though suggesting when it is appropriate to keep their child home even if they don't have a fever.

My current Sick/Illness Policy does have verbiage to encourage parents when it might be a good idea to keep their child home. If you would like me to share, just send me a PM with your email and I can forward you a copy of my policy.

[Ariana]

I exclude for anything that is above and beyond a mild cough, and clear runny nose. Anything else they are excluded until symptoms are gone. If child has to be put on antibiotics it is 48 hours from first dose. I then list each and every symptom that can possibly come up:
Rash
Runny nose, more than clear
Cough, more than slight (unless confirmed allergies from a dr)
Lice
Impetego
Foot and mouth disease
The list continues and I literally name every illness and symptom known to man! Lol

If a child comes to me with these symptoms they are turned away or parengs are called to pickup. If I determine a parent is knowingly bringing me a sick child it is grounds for termination (falls under failure to follow policies and procedures in my handbook).

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

If they have a constant runny nose (having the be wiped once every minute-few minutes), colored nasal discharge, or a constant cough (coughing once every minute-few minutes) then they are sent back home.

If I send home then they must remain home for a full 48 hours and I include the time they can re-attend IF they have been symptom free for a full 24 hours.
If they keep them home then they only have to remain home for 24 hours symptom free. This has cut down drastically on the number of children coming here ill...EXCEPT when we are at the end of the week. They don't care because their child won't be here anyways. However, if they send their child in ill more than once or twice at the end of the week then I would be terminating the contract. A lot of the time you can send them right back out the door before the parent even leaves, but some parents drop and run.

[BrynleeJean]

I need to start doing this. All of this is so helpful I just had my own baby and you'd think the parent would be a little considerate but NO. My five month old now has a cold which technically mean I have to close until he is better or find alternate care. You'd think them knowing those consiquences enough would keep there sick kids out of my house but every day for the past week or so I have this one little girl with a nasty cough and a green nose and I've yet to find words (and guts) to send her home. But my sleepless nights with my sick baby are catching up and my family is too important and the group come before the one.