So I was notified on the evening of Aug. 27th that dcg might not be here the 28th as she wasn't feeling well. This was confirmed by text the morning of Aug 28th by dcm, who took the day off to stay home with her daughter. All's good...

Dcm's boss isn't happy she called in the 28th. Dcm told her boss she had to call in as the daycare wouldn't take her daughter because dcg was sick. The boss wanted it in writing.

So.... I printed out a 1/4 page outlining my policy of not accepting sick kids into my program and needing symptom free for 24 hours, gave it to dcm to give to her boss. No problem for me as dcg is great and mom pays ahead most times.

So now the boss says still not good enough. She needs it so say that dcg was indeed not in my care on Aug 28th because she was sick and asks its dated for Aug. 28th specifically.

Now here is where my over thinking is coming into play. I can definitely write a note that dcg wasn't here the 28th. I can copy my attendance records for dcg to show her absent that day. I can even go as far as stating that the reason dcg wasn't here is because I was "told" she was sick, and I 100% believe mom that she was... but I wasn't there. I got the text she wasn't gonna be here, and I didn't question it. I didn't drive over to dcm's house and check dcg's temperature to confirm she was actually sick so how do I really know. (or care? as long as she recovered nicely which she did)

So how can I write a note stating that this child was too sick to be here the 28th? If dcm's boss doesn't believe that her daughter was indeed sick (which is what I am thinking is happening here) then what can possibly be solved by my writing this note stating that I was TOLD she was sick so it must be true. It would be different if dcg threw up all over my house on the 27th and had to be sent home, then I could confirm that yes.. she was sick!

I just don't feel comfortable putting something in writing that I cannot confirm. Maybe the girl wasn't sick and went to the zoo with mom? I dunno, and don't really care. On the other hand I don't know dcm's work situation, and if shes called in too much already, maybe facing discipline?

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First, her boss sounds like a real jerk. I don't know her past history with the company but asking this of you is really a bit much and I don't know that it's even legal?
Anyway, I would just write something very simply staying you got a text on the evening of the 27th stating DCG wasn't feeling well and another text on the 28th that she was too sick to attend and did not attend on the 28th.

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You are not over thinking it. I would feel the same. I wouldn't give a note about something I didn't see myself.

I would write a note telling the facts. Mom called night before and contacted you the day of stating that the child was too ill to attend. Then I'd put something in there that it would be impossible to comment on the state of her health as you didn't see her until she was better. If you trust the mom, I'd put in something like "but this mother has never given me any reason to doubt her"...or something like that.

They should ask for a doctor's note if they need the state of her health.

Laurel

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I would give Mom the attendance sheet copy to give her boss. You could leave it at that. Orrrrrr you could say that as a provider you base your allowable daily attendance on your communication with parents. End of story. If a parent says a child is ill then you accept it as truth. Geez!! is there no end to what we do for people? Oy!

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"Dcg wasn't in my care on August 28th." Really, it's a privacy thing. He doesn't need more info from you than that. Maybe you could add "due to dcm notifying me of dcg being ill" at the end of that statement but still...her boss isn't your licensor so attendance records or any other info about the children in your care are none of his business and it becomes a privacy issue if he pushes for more. Doesn't dcm have sick days or vacation days or other time off (paid or not) to use? Maybe she has an attendance issue at work. Either way, it is not your responsibility as a daycare to do any more than you already did and I would let dcm and her boss know that. What if she called in sick due to a nasty cold that didn't require dr treatment? How would her boss prove that dcm was sick then? Really something is fishy here...whenever an employee would call in sick when I was the boss, I would take their word for it unless they were chronically calling in sick...in which case I would suggest they get a dr note or else sit down with me to discuss their attendance issues (and potential disciplinary action).

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I would write the note. DCG likely was sick. Her mom's boss is obviously a jerk. It's a shame that employers can't be more understanding about a person's illness or their child's illness. I've seen employers in my area cutting vacation and eliminating personal and sick days altogether. You're not going to have to go to court to swear that the child was ill.

"DCG was absent from my program on 8.28.14 due to illness on 8.27.14 & 8.28.14. Per my program's policies and licensing standards, I was not able to accept DCG into care for the day because her symptoms called for exclusion."

It's not a privacy issue when Mom is asking for it-she has the authority to release information. It's not an ethical issue in my opinion, either. I don't see any problem with writing the note-what possible consequence could you face for doing so? You believe the information to be correct, so even IF you had to sign an affidavit about it, you would be acting with good intentions based on your knowledge. Nothing will happen if you write the note, except that Mom will keep her job and you'll probably keep a client while helping someone deal with an unreasonable employer.

Some employers have ridiculous standards for calling in sick...you're not able to use sick pay at our local hospital (the nurses) unless you are out for a full week, if you're sick for less than a week, it's an attendance violation. Another local employer requires 3 days illness to avoid a violation. Another requires 24 hour notice BEFORE you are sick. I'd do everything I could to support Mom in this situation-the attendance policies around here are downright cruel and ridiculous...they punish the 99% of people who are doing right because of the 1% who may be lying about illness rather than just dealing with the violators.

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I would NOT place your attendance records in the hands of anyone, wouldn't multiple parents be signing in/out? There are confidentiality concerns. You can state a letter only of hat you know. That's it.


"To Whom it May Concern,

MOM missed work on 28 Aug due to child's serious illness in which mom stated the child was not able to attend care. For confidentiality reasons and HIPAA rules and regulations, I am unable to comment on this further.

Thank you,
You

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It is my educated guess that dcm takes too many days off and uses her child being sick as the excuse. So when the child is ACTUALLY sick her boss doesn't believe her.

The dcm that cries wolf

We have a couple of those at my part time job whose "kids are always sick so they can't come in"

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Maybe a note saying that YOU would not accept the child into care on given date, as notice was given that she did not meet the criteria needed in order to attend.

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Exactly my thinking. Attendance records of the children in your care could be breaching privacy for those children if given to her boss. A note should do. Really that is more than you really should have to do...whether her boss is a jerk or she has attendance issues there is no need for you to risk yourself over it...her losing her job would not be your fault...it is not your fault she did not arrange back up care, has a jerk boss, has attendance issues, or whatever the case may be...I've had parents try to guilt me into taking their sick child by saying "If I miss one more day of work I'll get fired" only to find out they had pto the whole time that they wanted to save. Not saying this is the case but I just wouldn't want you to get into a giant mess. Keep it simple. Simple note with the facts.

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This is pretty much word for word what I just printed out. I did also add that my attendance records do show her as absent that day, but I'm not including the actual records. Unless my licensor needs to see them, they stay in my desk.

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I agree with this - you can't say she was sick, since you don't know, but you can DEFINITELY say that once you have been informed that a child is sick that you are then unable to accept them into care for that day.

As per my illness policy, once a parent informs me that their child is ill, that child is then unable to attend ABC Daycare for 24 hours. As per a text from DCM on 8/27, DCG was not allowed to attend ABC Daycare on 8/28.

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I had an employee like that and not once did it occur to me to demand a note from daycare. I simply reminded that employee of our attendance policy and that it is not our fault she does not have a backup plan or dr note for her child's repeated illnesses that caused her to miss daycare and therefore she would face disciplinary action if she continued to miss work...turned out she just wanted to sleep in so I scheduled her later shifts. Problem solved.

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I suspect this is the case as well but putting someone else on the spot to prove or disprove it is really not cool.

I agree I wouldn't provide any attendance sheets especially since you don't have other children in attendance and would essentially be a blank report and if you had other children in attendance it would be a privacy issue.

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Dear Mr, Jerk.

On 8/28, susie may was not in my care due to a reported illness. Please review the attendance records attached.

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I'd write a note basically how you stated....dcg was not in attendance on 8/28 due to illness, that dcm had text'd with notification on 8/27 at approximately 7:00 p.m., complying with sick child policies. Please see attached. (and attach your sick policy)
I'd also have dcm sign it, give dcm the copy to give to her boss, and keep the original in her file.
Just to cross your "t's" and dot your "i's", cause like Kabob said, something is fishy here.

Once had a dcm request a letter for her child that became sick during childcare hours. At the time, there was a terrible stomach virus going around the childcare.
Well, dcm slipped with the truth of the matter. Turned out dcm had been in a minor car accident the day prior, and was trying to sue the other driver, and using her sons illness as a result from the accident, with the letter I would be supplying her. I gave dcm a letter and made it clear of the on-going stomach virus passing throughout the childcare

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My sister calls this "post-recession America".

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Sounds like she needs an actual doctors note for her child's illness for this guy. You aren't qualified to determine illness even if you saw the child. I'm sorry for her having to jump through these hoops for her boss, that sucks.

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ITA with Kabob that it's a confidentiality issue. Unless the mom gives you permission, you can't say whether the child was in attendance or not.

If she does give permission I would just state that you were told that the child was ill, and that he was not in attendance on that date.

I wouldn't say that the child was sick unless I knew it for a fact either.

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