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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Stuck in a Rutt..Sick Policy vs Loosing Income
Sprouts 12:16 PM 08-20-2012
Okay so I am in a not so good situation....

My favorite family, my main income pretty much, and the most easy going baby just told me she might have to look for another child care provider. This gave me the worst feeling in my heart....

the reason being my sick child policy...its pretty standard, i am a little more strict then some other daycares...but pretty much the parents aren't allowed many days off...so when her daughter has a cold its hard for them to keep her home. Mind you she is one, she cannot blow her own nose, if she has a lot of boogers, its everywhere, I am pregnant as well and the constant going back and forth and having to sanitize everything is not the most fun.

At the moment my two children are sick, my husband is staying with them to keep them seperate, so the only other child that I am watching today is still not sick...and I would like to try and keep it that way...so when mom dropped baby off today she says she barely has a runny nose and had a slight cough this morning but nothing serious, her family thinks its probably "allergies" but grandma doesnt want to watch her because she gets sick easily...so fine...a minute later her daughter sneezes and a clearish greenish booger comes out....her mom leaves, 5 minutes later her nose starts running and right away baby starts smearing it all over her face.

I already know how this will turn out...all day wiping, all night sanitizing...so I call mom and tell her the great news, she handles it well, comes rights back, but i know is not happy...she tells me her job is super upset and she only has one more sick day left and she hopes she doesnt get fired oh and its strange because for some reason at home all weekend her nose is barely runny at all, just when she comes her i guess....i feel bad because if i really wanted to i could have stayed with her and kept cleaning her face all day and smeared boogers until 6pm...but I do have my sick policy for a reason.

So i am stuck in a rutt, she just texts me saying she might have to look for another child care, but she would love her daughter to stay with me but she has no more sick days barely and cant stay home with her if she is "semi-sick"

She is my main income, i only watch 2 kids, 1 full time 1 part time...were about to have a baby in like 7 weeks...

any advice i would love to hear, thank you all
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MarinaVanessa 12:26 PM 08-20-2012
JMPO ~

If my sickness policy included minor colds and runny noses like yours does I'd be out of business. From my experience in reviewing different providers policies (on the board of our county's child care association, it's a part of what we do) it's not standard at all in my area.

The only time that a child is excluded for a runny nose is if it's accompanied by a fever. The fever is the kicker, not the runny nose. Otherwise I chalk it up "just part of the job". Everyone runs their businesses how they see fit however so if you don't want to wipe noses and toys then go for it! But expect that this family may have different needs than you can accomodate and they'll have to find a different childcare provider.
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JenNJ 12:29 PM 08-20-2012
Colds are colds. I don't exclude over colds. Kids get them a lot and so do adults. Green boogers do not always mean an infection. Honestly, if I were a daycare parent, I would find a place that accepted colds. It is just not reasonable to expect parents to take off for a cold. 7-10 days that a cold lasts x 3 colds a year means 21 days minimum misses work. Crazy!
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MyAngels 12:34 PM 08-20-2012
I agree with the PPs - if I excluded for colds I wouldn't be in business for long.

I recently attended a seminar about managing infectious diseases in the child care environment and was surprised at the few times they suggested that exclusion was appropriate - i.e., for the most part exclusion doesn't prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
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Crystal 12:34 PM 08-20-2012
I have advice, but it is not likely what you want to hear.

If you have a sick policy that excludes children who have a cold, you are going to have this problem A LOT. Kids get colds. Usually, they are sick before you even realize it and everyone has already been exposed, meaning it is likely everyone is going to be sick within days and you would have to exclude everyone. Also, a cold generally lasts for 7-10 days, so would you expect parents to take off the entire time their child has symptoms? This is not realistic, for you or for the parents.

I would reconsider the sick policy, deal with the runny noses (as much as it sucks) and only exclude for severe symptoms such as fever/vomiting/diarrhea.

DCM is right. She is going to have to consider alternate care if you stick to this policy. It isn't even cold/flu season yet and she is down to one day of sick leave left because she has had to call out when her child has a cold.What is she to do when her child is REALLY sick and she has no time left? Just like you, she cannot afford to lose her job.

SO, personally, I would call Mom and tell her I have reconsidered and that you will allow her child to attend when she has a cold.

I know it sucks....none of us enjoy the runny noses, coughing and whiny children. BUT, it is part of the job and the sooner you adjust to that, the sooner you will ensure job security
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Crystal 12:35 PM 08-20-2012
LOL....when I started posting there were no responses! Now there are four ahead of mine
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Sprouts 12:36 PM 08-20-2012
so if your children went to a childcare and you saw another baby there with a constant runny boogery face would u want ur child in a place like that?

I understand what you both are saying, and ive had her child here coughing and runny nose, i just have in my policy "persistent runny nose" to the point where i cannnot maintain a sanitary environment.

If she had a runny nose that needed to be wiped like every 10-15 minutes fine...but when its like every 5 minutes, and with a sneeze its a huge booger...that will be hard to keep sanitary
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Crystal 12:45 PM 08-20-2012
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
so if your children went to a childcare and you saw another baby there with a constant runny boogery face would u want ur child in a place like that?

I understand what you both are saying, and ive had her child here coughing and runny nose, i just have in my policy "persistent runny nose" to the point where i cannnot maintain a sanitary environment.

If she had a runny nose that needed to be wiped like every 10-15 minutes fine...but when its like every 5 minutes, and with a sneeze its a huge booger...that will be hard to keep sanitary
I may not like it, but I would understand. As a parent, I would know that it happens.

Ask mom to give her something to ease the runny nose. If she is hesitant to medicate, tell her to try a homeopathic remedy, and perhaps you can also do it at daycare. I would also be using the bulb syringe to clean out her nose frequently....that should limit the runny nose because you will get the majority of it out with the syringe. VICKS for babies under the nose works wonders as well!

Also, how mobile is the one year old? Is it possible to set up a play yard for just her to play in? Then you would really only need to sanitize the space she plays in and not the entire home? Also, considering you only care for one other child, it might be feasible to keep them separated anyway.
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Country Kids 12:47 PM 08-20-2012
Believe me I know its hard! I had a 3 year old this year that was the same way-went through a box of tissues in a day. I was contemplating about what to do because it was more then I could keep up with. The thing though alot of mine do this at the same time-6 of them. We seriously couldn't tell if its was always colds or allergies.

Yes, even though they were older they could never quiet get their noses wiped very well and blown so I was constently on nose duty. I actually a few days just used hand sanitizer because I would have basically stood in the bathroom washing my hands.

I would understand though if the parent pulled their child as I was sick 7 days this year and had parents complaining about not having anymore sick time. Imagine if they took my time, their time and childs time everytime we had a runny nose or didn't feel good.
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NiNi.R. 12:55 PM 08-20-2012
You have a right to run your business the way you want but I don't think this mom is out of line by wanting to find another provider.

I agree with others. That is something that's part of the job. I certainly wouldn't want to close down every time my own children had a runny nose and wouldn't expect a parent to stay home every time their's did either.

My suggestion is that if you think it is something more than allergies maybe request her to check with the doctor and bring you a note.
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JenNJ 01:14 PM 08-20-2012
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
so if your children went to a childcare and you saw another baby there with a constant runny boogery face would u want ur child in a place like that?

I understand what you both are saying, and ive had her child here coughing and runny nose, i just have in my policy "persistent runny nose" to the point where i cannnot maintain a sanitary environment.

If she had a runny nose that needed to be wiped like every 10-15 minutes fine...but when its like every 5 minutes, and with a sneeze its a huge booger...that will be hard to keep sanitary
That is a fact of group care. Like it or not, the parent chose group care and all that comes with it.
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sharlan 01:24 PM 08-20-2012
I have to agree with the others. This mom has run out of time off. If she loses her job over her daughter having a cold, she not only can't pay you, she can't pay her other bills.

If you can't handle the snotty noses, daycare may not be the right thing for you.

Personally, I can't handle snotty noses, it grosses me out to the point that I choke. I just suck it up, close my eyes and take care of it.

I try not to exclude kids as much as possible. I call for pick up for vomiting, diarrhea, and a fever over 101*. We just had pink eye, 2 out of 8 kids got it, plus me. I notified all of my parents and let them know it was up to them to come or not. All the parents showed up with kids in tow. One of my parents has it now, but we had it 2 weeks ago, and his child didn't get it. I'm hoping that his daughter doesn't get it and bring it back.
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Country Kids 01:29 PM 08-20-2012
Wow, you stayed open with pink eye! I would be in so much trouble if I allowed the kids to stay here that had that. They aren't even allowed to go to school here with it.

I would definetly expect for it to come back into the childcare. Especially if a parent picked it up and their child didn't even get it.
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Sprouts 01:33 PM 08-20-2012
Yeah I see, I either need to suck it up, litterally and figuratively....or
I just need to decide if group is what I really want....were all stressed out here because my husband is with our kids since they have a fever from this ....parent is stressed because she is home another day cleaning boogers when she can be working....here is my sick policy, does this sound too much? Ive posted it before but i never thought it was extreme


Wellness Policy Statement of Understanding
Please read wellness policy carefully so we all have the same understanding when it comes to keeping all of our children happy and healthy.
Please initial each statement to recognize understanding

______I agree to notify the day care at drop off of ANY medication given to the child within six hours of the drop off.
______I understand that if my child exhibits any of the following symptoms, I or one of my emergency contacts are required to pick them up within 45 minutes of being notified.
1. Fever 100.0 F or above (please do not give medication before drop off to mask fever or symptoms)
2. Vomiting,
3. Diarrhea,
4. An undetermined body rash,
5. A persistent runny nose,
6. Coughing***,
7. Extreme changes in usual behavior.*
______I understand that children who have vomited or have diarrhea are not allowed to enter the day care until they are symptom free for a full 24 hours.
______"In certain situations, a medical form must be obtained before your child can be re-admitted into care. These forms require a written diagnosis from the child's physician and must state the following information:
• the diagnosis
• the treatment
• length of recommended exclusion
Re-admission to child care will be at MY discretion. Please do not assume the doctor can give permission for re-admittance.
______I understand that ************** does not administer nebulizer or breathing treatments.
_______In case of accidental injury or emergency illness, I will be notified immediately after emergency medical services have been summoned.* ************ will not accompany any child to the hospital or physicians office if emergency medical services is enlisted unless there is enough staff.*

***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 my discretion and will be handled on an individual basis."
Parent Name: ________________________ Signature: ________________ Date: _____________
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. It means a lot to all of us, the children, the staff, and families.

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DCBlessings27 01:43 PM 08-20-2012
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
Yeah I see, I either need to suck it up, litterally and figuratively....or
I just need to decide if group is what I really want....were all stressed out here because my husband is with our kids since they have a fever from this ....parent is stressed because she is home another day cleaning boogers when she can be working....here is my sick policy, does this sound too much? Ive posted it before but i never thought it was extreme


Wellness Policy Statement of Understanding
Please read wellness policy carefully so we all have the same understanding when it comes to keeping all of our children happy and healthy.
Please initial each statement to recognize understanding

______I agree to notify the day care at drop off of ANY medication given to the child within six hours of the drop off.
______I understand that if my child exhibits any of the following symptoms, I or one of my emergency contacts are required to pick them up within 45 minutes of being notified.
1. Fever 100.0 F or above (please do not give medication before drop off to mask fever or symptoms)
2. Vomiting,
3. Diarrhea,
4. An undetermined body rash,
5. A persistent runny nose,
6. Coughing***,
7. Extreme changes in usual behavior.*
______I understand that children who have vomited or have diarrhea are not allowed to enter the day care until they are symptom free for a full 24 hours.
______"In certain situations, a medical form must be obtained before your child can be re-admitted into care. These forms require a written diagnosis from the child's physician and must state the following information:
• the diagnosis
• the treatment
• length of recommended exclusion
Re-admission to child care will be at MY discretion. Please do not assume the doctor can give permission for re-admittance.
______I understand that ************** does not administer nebulizer or breathing treatments.
_______In case of accidental injury or emergency illness, I will be notified immediately after emergency medical services have been summoned.* ************ will not accompany any child to the hospital or physicians office if emergency medical services is enlisted unless there is enough staff.*

***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 my discretion and will be handled on an individual basis."
Parent Name: ________________________ Signature: ________________ Date: _____________
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. It means a lot to all of us, the children, the staff, and families.
I don't think your sick policy is too extreme when laid out how it is. However, if you are only watching 1 other child today besides this sick one who came, I don't see how you couldn't maintain a sanitary environment. If I was only caring for 2 children, I'd definitely have time to wipe a nose every 5 minutes and sanitize. Even if the other child got sick, it's only a cold. Since you're pregnant, I understand that you don't want to be sick. I'm pregnant too, and I've had kids with cold symptoms for several weeks now. If you wanted to exclude the sick child AFTER you had your newborn for these reasons. I'd understand that. The last thing I want my newborn exposed to would be a cold.

I'm like many of the others and only exclude for vomiting/dirrahea/fevers over 100. I would not exclude for cold symptoms unless the child had other symtoms (ie fever) or wasn't acting like himself/herself.
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cheerfuldom 02:47 PM 08-20-2012
I agree with the others and do not exclude for colds...and I have three kids myself and am pregnant. Its part of the job. Fevers or excessive, excessive other symptoms (to the point where they are crying all day and cant sleep and such), yes I would send home for that.
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Sprouts 03:00 PM 08-20-2012
anyone on here as anal as me??? lol
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Crystal 03:08 PM 08-20-2012
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
anyone on here as anal as me??? lol
LOL! I used to be. Until I had been in the biz for a few months. Then I realized I either had to deal with it or find another line of work. 15 years and hundreds of runny noses later, I'm still going strong
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My3cents 04:55 PM 08-20-2012
I agree with everyone else-

it comes with the territory. I do understand being pregnant that you don't want to expose yourself or a newborn to a child that is often sick. Separate the best that you are able, and sanitize often.

Clear runny nose is usually cold or allergy.
Greenish, yellowish sometimes infection or the end of a cold.

I don't think your being anal, I think you are just pregnant and worried and trying to do the best that you can. Booger noses come with the territory. Allergies last longer and right now allergy reports are high. They don't recommend meds for colds anyhow. They are best to run their course.

Best-
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Former Teacher 06:46 PM 08-20-2012
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
so if your children went to a childcare and you saw another baby there with a constant runny boogery face would u want ur child in a place like that?
This comment reminded me of something years ago.

We had a child who had a CONSTANTLY runny nose. We all had gone to a first aid/CPR class and we were talking about health etc. This little boy was mentioned. He was fine. No fever or any other symptoms-just a faucet for a nose. The instructor said that with all due respect had her daughter been that age, she would not enroll or keep her daughter at the center for long.

When the instructor said that, we changed our sickness policy. It was stated we excluded for blah blah. We would call for blah blah. At the bottom, we did say that ( I dont remember the exact wording...to many years ago ) if the child wasnt showing any symptoms other than just miserable we had the right to call. The parent can choose to pick up or not. However would you want your child sitting next to someone or playing with someone that is miserable?

Reminds of another little girl. She too was just miserable. Runny nose, cough. No fever. Dad took her to the dr. Dr said it was just a cold. Dad brought her in. You could just see she was not feeling good. I told him that while legally I can't make him take her, I felt that she would not have a good day and she just needed to be at home. He still was going to leave because "shes fine-its just a cold" . I finally said: you know your child best. Would you want her playing with someone who feels like she looks? Then he really took a good look and finally agreed.

As for your policies: Kids get sick. Providers have policies. She agreed to them when she enrolled.

As for mother's sick days: makes me wonder if sometimes she just said the baby was sick just so she can play hooky. Never know
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EchoMom 08:32 PM 08-20-2012
I opened my daycare of 6 in the winter, everyone was new, everyone got sick, ALOT. Colds just kept going around and around and around. I tried to wipe noses, wash hands, sanitize toys, etc. It didn't seem to help. No matter how vigilant I tried to be, the babies still swapped spit and the toddlers still sneezed and wiped their noses with their hands "shared" all their toys and germs!

I felt SOOOOOOOOOOO guilty like it was my fault and that the parents would think I was a dirty provider who just let everyone get sick. I don't feel that way anymore. Now I just feel like kids can be contagious before we even realize it and it's too late. They're just going to get sick, they're supposed to get sick, getting sick (minor) makes them stronger as they build their immune system.

I have only sent kids home for fevers. Never had any diareah or vomiting yet. If a kid is sick, the parents still need to work and the child just needs a place to be. They can lay in their bed all day, watch movies, eat popscicles, look at books, etc. I think that if you offer good care for minor illnesses you will win yourself loyal loyal families who are so grateful.

And I did give a nebulizer to a 6 month old twice a day every day for a week. It was a pain in the butt but it's what the baby needed, it wasn't hurting anyone else, and how could mom take a week off of work?

I agree, the bulb syringe will help, hot washcloths for steam, I'd even stuff some toilet paper up their noses and just let it stay there if the tots didn't object and pull it out.
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Sprouts 08:56 PM 08-20-2012
yes I opened my daycare right before september and the first major virus we had was coxsackie, my son had a high fever and got a febrile seizure from this, i thought he was going to die seeing him like that, it scared me Poopless, and then he again had another seizure not too long after that...so thats what triggered me to be so strict with my illness policy...

My son has been sick so far three times in like 1 and half months...he was going strong for a while, but this summer was back to back pretty much, hes 22 months. I know the first 2 years is when they get the most sicknesses and i see that because my daughter who is almost 5 has barely been sick (she started child care at 2 but got a lot of colds then)...but seeing your child have a seizure from a fever is so scary, especially when their lips are turning blue, they have no control of their body....so thats why i became so anal about it. I cant keep him a bubble either and I do have to be reliable for parents especially for ones whose jobs arent flexible, febrile seizures arent life threatening usually but ....either i suck it up, make boogers my best friend or find another way to make money while staying home with my children....ahh choices choices...thank you all ladies for your input
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Wigglesandgiggles 04:40 AM 08-21-2012
when a child has a runny nose here, i out a few drops of saline in their nose. dries up the faucet for hours!
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countrymom 04:54 AM 08-21-2012
I would less sanitize too. Open your windows, fresh air does wonders. Also, I don't go around sanitizing nothing, germs don't stay on stuff and kids are going to get sick regardless. Also, maybe this child is teething, I have one who gets like this for a month before her teeth pop out.
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Mommy2One 09:50 AM 08-21-2012
Originally Posted by Wigglesandgiggles:
when a child has a runny nose here, i out a few drops of saline in their nose. dries up the faucet for hours!
I don't know if you would want to/be allowed to administer it, but I second the saline solution suggestion. Whenever my daughter has a runny nose/congestion I squirt some saline in her nose and then syringe/have her blow it out. Doing this at key times (wake-up, before eating, before bed/napping) seems to make her a lot more comfortable and it greatly reduces the amount of nose wiping for some time afterwards. That combined with using a humidifier/vaporizer while she naps/sleeps seems to cut the duration and severity of her symptoms significantly.
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Mommy2One 09:55 AM 08-21-2012
Originally Posted by Former Teacher:

As for mother's sick days: makes me wonder if sometimes she just said the baby was sick just so she can play hooky. Never know
It's true you never know but I think sick days are very easy to use up, especially if you're a single parent and/or don't have a lot of family nearby.

I only get 5 sick days/year. One week our daughter got sick and my husband and I caught it. That irritated/inflamed his already troublesome appendix enough that he had to have an emergency appendectomy. Between caring for her, caring for him/driving to the hospital and trying to care for myself in between I missed 3 days of work. That was a couple of months ago, which mean I had 2 sick days left to last about 7 months...
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JenNJ 10:15 AM 08-21-2012
I doubt she is faking the sick days. I know this year has been rough on our family. One hospitalization for dd, one emergency surgery and hospitalization for ds, plus dh and I both got nasty colds over the winter.

If I worked out of the home, I would have had to take about 10 days total. Thankfully I only missed 2 days (the days my kids were in the hospital) since I can work from home sick and take care of my sick kids while working.
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Heidi 10:34 AM 08-21-2012
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
JMPO ~

If my sickness policy included minor colds and runny noses like yours does I'd be out of business. From my experience in reviewing different providers policies (on the board of our county's child care association, it's a part of what we do) it's not standard at all in my area.

The only time that a child is excluded for a runny nose is if it's accompanied by a fever. The fever is the kicker, not the runny nose. Otherwise I chalk it up "just part of the job". Everyone runs their businesses how they see fit however so if you don't want to wipe noses and toys then go for it! But expect that this family may have different needs than you can accomodate and they'll have to find a different childcare provider.
..not trying to be mean; you certainly have the right to do as you see fit, but since I had 3 kids with major allergies last year, a runny nose would have put me out of business as well. Fever=go home.
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MaritimeMummy 10:36 AM 08-21-2012
Originally Posted by Mommy2One:
I only get 5 sick days/year.
WOW, this was generous of your employer! Haha. Employers giving sick days is not mandatory. I have had many different jobs outside of the home and not one of them offered sick time.

It's not fair to assume that Mom has used all the sick days on fun and just staying home.

As for the OP, I do not close for runny noses, regardless of how much the "faucet" is open, LOL. Whether I have to wipe the nose every 2 minutes, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes, it does not matter. As long as that child is feeling well enough to participate then I permit them to attend. Rarely does a runny nose pose a problem that a child can not participate.
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Heidi 10:36 AM 08-21-2012
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
yes I opened my daycare right before september and the first major virus we had was coxsackie, my son had a high fever and got a febrile seizure from this, i thought he was going to die seeing him like that, it scared me Poopless, and then he again had another seizure not too long after that...so thats what triggered me to be so strict with my illness policy...

My son has been sick so far three times in like 1 and half months...he was going strong for a while, but this summer was back to back pretty much, hes 22 months. I know the first 2 years is when they get the most sicknesses and i see that because my daughter who is almost 5 has barely been sick (she started child care at 2 but got a lot of colds then)...but seeing your child have a seizure from a fever is so scary, especially when their lips are turning blue, they have no control of their body....so thats why i became so anal about it. I cant keep him a bubble either and I do have to be reliable for parents especially for ones whose jobs arent flexible, febrile seizures arent life threatening usually but ....either i suck it up, make boogers my best friend or find another way to make money while staying home with my children....ahh choices choices...thank you all ladies for your input
2 of my children (now 22 and 15) had neonatal siezures (not caused by fever) so I'm with you on how scary it is!
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Thriftylady 06:26 AM 08-09-2014
I am always split on this. DD had a runny nose and cough the whole time she was a baby. The doctor kept telling me "she is fine she just has a snot nosed cold". Really? Who has a cold that NEVER goes away? Finally we switched doctors and found it was allergies severe ones and when she was 8 or 9 she was also diagnosed with allergy induced asthma. The snotty nose is an issue, I get it, but sometimes even doctors can't tell the difference between a cold and allergies. My DD just turned 16 and she is still on two different allergy meds, if she doesn't take them she is all snotty again. I have allergies also, but not as everyday as my poor kid does.
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MOM OF 4 08:12 AM 08-09-2014
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
so if your children went to a childcare and you saw another baby there with a constant runny boogery face would u want ur child in a place like that?

I understand what you both are saying, and ive had her child here coughing and runny nose, i just have in my policy "persistent runny nose" to the point where i cannnot maintain a sanitary environment.

If she had a runny nose that needed to be wiped like every 10-15 minutes fine...but when its like every 5 minutes, and with a sneeze its a huge booger...that will be hard to keep sanitary
Sanitary + children = it doesn't exist, unfortunately.

As a parent, I'm pretty understanding that children WILL be sick and my kid WILL get sick in a group-care environment (or school), but also as a provider, I have to be reasonable too. Runny noses are a PAIN, but I had kids who had colds for a month (no kidding!) or sometimes it really was just allergies or sometimes, simply colder weather causes a nose to run, so I had to take the kids.

If they had fever, rash, lethargy, did not act like themselves, then I would exclude, but for the most part, I rarely had to do that. If a kid really did get sick, by the time they presented with symptoms, they were exposed (2 week incubation period on average for most bacterial infections and sometimes even more for viral), so depending on how well they FELT and acted, I'd probably keep the kids anyway. It's just part of the job. Albeit, ICKY, lol

And I was pregnant 3 times (once was with twins) during this period of time, too, so I feel ya.
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Unregistered 10:14 AM 08-09-2014
Historic thread
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KidGrind 10:40 AM 08-09-2014
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
so if your children went to a childcare and you saw another baby there with a constant runny boogery face would u want ur child in a place like that?

I understand what you both are saying, and ive had her child here coughing and runny nose, i just have in my policy "persistent runny nose" to the point where i cannnot maintain a sanitary environment.

If she had a runny nose that needed to be wiped like every 10-15 minutes fine...but when its like every 5 minutes, and with a sneeze its a huge booger...that will be hard to keep sanitary
Nope. I exclude for colds. Most in my area do too and we all get calls and have clients. Running nose is fine with minor coughing.

Waterfall green runny nose and constant hacking is a deal breaker. I cannot run a healthy daycare with 4 to six kids with green waterfalls and hacking. I don’t want a cold. I don’t want my family to get a cold.

A minor cold they can stay. Anything more their kid can’t come here. If that doesn’t work for their family. I understand and good luck with your future childcare arrangements.

Providers are not hostages to a situation unless they choose to be.
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KidGrind 10:43 AM 08-09-2014
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Historic thread
Why didn’t I read this 5 minutes ago?
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Unregistered 10:50 AM 08-09-2014
Originally Posted by KidGrind:
Why didn’t I read this 5 minutes ago?
Caught up in the (one-sided) conversation?
I've done the same thing
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renodeb 03:52 PM 08-09-2014
To be honest, I think you are going to have this problem again. I don't exclude for a cold unless the child is feeling so puny that they can't participate in the daily activities. I have to agree with the mom on this one. Most employers are not going to allow that many absences. Colds (as gross as they are) are a part of our job. I would reconsider your policy or you may be loosing a good client. Kidgrind, I'm glad that you can exclude for colds and parents don't have a problem with it, for me it would depend on how bad of a cold. It would not fly here to exclude for a minor cold. Your parents must all have very flexible jobs?
I know it's not what you wanted to hear but I have to be honest. Good luck!
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SignMeUp 04:00 PM 08-09-2014
...If I could turn back time ....
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MOM OF 4 04:04 PM 08-09-2014
Originally Posted by SignMeUp:
...If I could turn back time ....
Snap! I got sucked in, and did not notice the OP date! LOL
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KidGrind 08:39 PM 08-09-2014
Originally Posted by renodeb:
To be honest, I think you are going to have this problem again. I don't exclude for a cold unless the child is feeling so puny that they can't participate in the daily activities. I have to agree with the mom on this one. Most employers are not going to allow that many absences. Colds (as gross as they are) are a part of our job. I would reconsider your policy or you may be loosing a good client. Kidgrind, I'm glad that you can exclude for colds and parents don't have a problem with it, for me it would depend on how bad of a cold. It would not fly here to exclude for a minor cold. Your parents must all have very flexible jobs?
I know it's not what you wanted to hear but I have to be honest. Good luck!
I think you didn’t fully read my comment. I am glad too.
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Cradle2crayons 07:47 PM 08-10-2014
Originally Posted by MV:
JMPO ~

If my sickness policy included minor colds and runny noses like yours does I'd be out of business. From my experience in reviewing different providers policies (on the board of our county's child care association, it's a part of what we do) it's not standard at all in my area.

The only time that a child is excluded for a runny nose is if it's accompanied by a fever. The fever is the kicker, not the runny nose. Otherwise I chalk it up "just part of the job". Everyone runs their businesses how they see fit however so if you don't want to wipe noses and toys then go for it! But expect that this family may have different needs than you can accomodate and they'll have to find a different childcare provider.
Originally Posted by JenNJ:
Colds are colds. I don't exclude over colds. Kids get them a lot and so do adults. Green boogers do not always mean an infection. Honestly, if I were a daycare parent, I would find a place that accepted colds. It is just not reasonable to expect parents to take off for a cold. 7-10 days that a cold lasts x 3 colds a year means 21 days minimum misses work. Crazy!
Originally Posted by MyAngels:
I agree with the PPs - if I excluded for colds I wouldn't be in business for long.

I recently attended a seminar about managing infectious diseases in the child care environment and was surprised at the few times they suggested that exclusion was appropriate - i.e., for the most part exclusion doesn't prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Originally Posted by CoachingForQualityImprovement:
I have advice, but it is not likely what you want to hear.

If you have a sick policy that excludes children who have a cold, you are going to have this problem A LOT. Kids get colds. Usually, they are sick before you even realize it and everyone has already been exposed, meaning it is likely everyone is going to be sick within days and you would have to exclude everyone. Also, a cold generally lasts for 7-10 days, so would you expect parents to take off the entire time their child has symptoms? This is not realistic, for you or for the parents.

I would reconsider the sick policy, deal with the runny noses (as much as it sucks) and only exclude for severe symptoms such as fever/vomiting/diarrhea.

DCM is right. She is going to have to consider alternate care if you stick to this policy. It isn't even cold/flu season yet and she is down to one day of sick leave left because she has had to call out when her child has a cold.What is she to do when her child is REALLY sick and she has no time left? Just like you, she cannot afford to lose her job.

SO, personally, I would call Mom and tell her I have reconsidered and that you will allow her child to attend when she has a cold.

I know it sucks....none of us enjoy the runny noses, coughing and whiny children. BUT, it is part of the job and the sooner you adjust to that, the sooner you will ensure job security
all these. I consider my sick policy relatively strict compared to most in may area, including the schools.

However, if I excluded for every runny nose, I'd be run out of town.

I remember when my daughter was little, until age five, she was a sickly thing. I can't remember a day her nose didn't run. She didn't go to daycare either and was an only child and I wasn't a provider at that time. Some of them were REALLY bad colds that ended in screaming ear infections and always something secondary. Her Ent told me what a blessing this would be someday while I stared in horror wondering how he made a living telling parents junk like this.

Turns out he was right.

My son, the opposite. The healthiest child I ever saw. Other than seasonal allergies everyone in he south has. An a few allergies to stinging creatures. Related to illness only saw a dr ONCE in the first five years of life. After his sister I thought we had adopted an alien child. Fast forward age five in kindy. He has caught everything there.

Colds are colds are colds. The fever is where I exclude. Unless they are so sick they are unable to participate.

If I were dcm, I'd be a tad bit upset.

Please don't take this personally though. You DO have a right to have your own exclusion policy however you want it to be.

But be prepared for it to annoy parents and be prepared to lose clients.
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Tags:sick policy
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