So i just found out this morning that a child that has been in my care for a year an a half. Might have gental herpes!!!! Mom disclosed also that she does have herpes so she thinks that this child contracted this through birth!!! I do have a contract that has a space to list this stuff and she never ever said anything about this until now, putting my family and the other children i keep at risk!!! Please if anyone out there has some advice as to how i should proceed with this it would be of great help!!! I really like the lady and she is really sweet i just don't want to hurt any feelings or create any bad blood. I am just so beside myself right now has to how a parent can not disclose this type of information!

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Maybe if she's as sweet as you say she is, she didn't think her child had the disease until recently. Maybe she spotted some sores on her she's never seen before...ya never know. I would try giving her the benefit of the doubt that she has a reasonable explanation for not saying anything, taking your children to the doctor, and getting some information on ways this can be spread. If it's something that's going to be spreading through your daycare no matter what you do, you're going to have to make the decision to either tell this mom her daughter can't come anymore or risk the health of everyone in the house. I personally...I don't understand how a little girl would get genital herpes from birth. If you have herpes, and you know it when you give birth, usually your doctor does too, and they either c-section or give you an IV that helps the baby not contract it. And even when they do contract it through their mothers i'm almost sure the sores present on their bodies, not their genitals. I will check with my mom, she's been in the medical field for years. I would definitely be at the doctor's like...yesterday if I were you.

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I hope this helps.


http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welco...de/herpes.html

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I know a per son who has this disease and it is not curable. You need to tell the parent that she has to find a new care provider for her child. It sounds harsh but you also have to think of the other children as well as your own family. The mother should have disclosed this information to you ahead of time.

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thank you guys so much for your input. I have told this mother that i can no longer keep her child until i get a no she doesn't have this. I have done some research and i have spoke to the health dept. and the finding are quite sickning.......my heart is really hurting for this lil girl cause it is really starting to look like CPS my need to get involved. But thanks again!

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not trying to persuade you or anything, but the child having herpes is like a child with the common cold. if the child is being treated and the mother is being proactive about the health and welfare of her child, what more can you expect from her?? atleast the condition is not constantly outbreaking, she does have bouts when it lies dormant; which can last for YEARS. not telling you what to do, but I think you are over reacting....just a bit.
UNO

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I'm not positive about this, but if the child didn't contract this virus through the birth process, it is not possible to contract it without sexual contact. In other words, the child cannot give it to you or the other children without sexual contact. If you are using proper diapering procedures, and washing hands, then you cannot "catch" it. In reality, about 25% of the adult population has this virus, alot not even knowing it. (I did research on this last year for a class I was taking). I think the word "herpes" sounds alot scarier than it actually is. I would however be very concerned how the child contracted it. If she had it at birth, I would think there would have been some indication before now, which leads me to think, maybe she caught it afterwards, which means that someone gave it to her. How old is the child? This poor girl probably has more to worry about than the virus.

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As the mother I would have definitely "first had the daughter tested." before even saying anything, she didn't have to say anything if the daughter never had it. Than she needs to take extra precautions with her own household to make sure it doesn't spread; but I really don't see how it would spread to her children, other than birth...

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As a day care owner for the past 10 years I found the best thing to do with a sensitive and important issue like that is to call your licensing rep and ask them how to proceed. If it isn't handled correctly it can cost you clients and cause lots of panic that may not be necessary.

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Hi,

I have had parents with hep C (1 told me, the other their child told me and their mom confirmed it).

For everyone out there that doesn't know the following (this is accurate information, so anyone telling you it isn't, you better find out), it is breaching confidentiality:

We as providers (licensed or unlicensed) must follow these laws (it is mandatory)

If a child has any serious disease or has or has had a seriousillness/disease (hep C, AIDS, etc...), the parent does not have to tell us and we are not supposed to ask (we can ask if there is any medical information they want us to know, for emergencies). If we know a child has AIDS, etc... and they bite another child, under no circumstances can we tell a parent their child was bitten by an infected child. I'm sure there is a shot to get if that happens to protect against or reduce the chances of getting HIV or AIDS. I believe it has to be given quickly and a parent can't get it if they don't know. We can't even say an unknown child with it bit.

You can tell a parent their child was bitten (with broken skin) and there could be serious medical consequences, or something, but they would never know to expect anything. I explained the reality of that to my parents and let them know i couldn't tell them (and that I at present do not have that attendance problem), but I feel, if I ever did, I would have to tell them "Your child was bit and you REALLLLLY should look into it since his skin was broken". BUut if I did that, they would freak out, knowing what I meant and I would get into trouble. A friend told me, they had a mom use their bathroom and later told them they have a STD and asked to use it again. No one uses our family bathroom and when they use the daycare bathroom, one of us goes down behind them and cleans it immediately.

Remember, always assume and "practice" safety precautions for the worst.

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If you don't feel comfortable caring for a child with a illness, disease, handicap......... You need to be very careful how you terminate. They can sue discrimination. You can always say you are cutting back on the # of children or another excuse (just make sure you don't advertise or accept any daycare for a short time, for 2-3 weeks). I don't care for special needs, for several reasons, we transport all the time and can't accomodate, our daycare is very physical and most of all, I am not medically trained.

I have never had any problems, but I have seen on court shows and heard from other providers, that parents will call or have someone call to find daycare for a healthy child and the provider says yes, then sometimes the secial needs parent calls back or not, but they sue.

Daycare has to be denied for certain reasons, always say you are interviewing several families before you decide and then choose the famiky you want, that is legal

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Call a doctor and get a professional opinion or two.

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I came across this board while searching if a child can get herpes via daycare. Reason? My poor grandaughter, only three, was just at docs with sores on her bottom, they said herpes!!!!??? daughter thought she got it from daycare,but I am not believing it, until I read your post. Please, to the person with a daycare, now that you know, inform all parents of the situation. at only three she will now have to deal with this the rest of her life. we are all devastated. i thought for sure something bad happened to her, still wondering, but after reading this post, I feel a little better, herpes is bad enough, but I was more scared she had been molested. an fyi, my daughter has HPV, and they let her deliver vaginally, and the baby did not contract it, however, I don't know which is more contagious. I do know that 1 in 3 people my daughters age has HPV, pretty scarey numbers. well, im off to research some more-good luck all.

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I am responding to the post because I am a mother to a child with herpes. it is true that the word is way scarier than what it is. My child was born with this. my Child's outbreaks never occur in the genitals. My child is currently in a daycare that know the situation and is very understanding (thank goodness). The only challenges are when an outbreak occurs. When that happens my child has to be out of school for a week to do med treatment. This is because once there is an outbreak it is contagious. Other than that, normal and healthy. A dermatologist is seen to make sure it is under control, and it always is. The outbreaks are not frequent. After the outbreak sores have healed my child is welcomed back with open arms. I feel that a lot of daycare centers should do more research on this illness, because it's never what people think it is. My child is allowed around siblings during an outbreak. I got the ok from the doctor on this matter. They are just not allowed to touch the spot. A child should be allowed to be in daycare, school, etc as long as there is team work between the parents, teachers, and doctors. Good Luck

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Yes, you can spread it and are contagious, even without having an outbreak. This article, and others say it. Plus, I know from someone personally. So no, a child is not normal and healthy when they have herpes but aren't having symptoms. They are still contagious to others.

"Although people are most infectious when they have an active lesion, it is also possible to shed the herpes virus and be contagious to others when an infected person does not have any symptoms. A person is usually most contagious after their first outbreak."

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Just to clarify - genital herpes (H1) and oral herpes (H2) are two completely different things, contracted different ways, and would need to be addressed in entirely different ways.

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Just wondering- but if in fact the child did have that, are you obligated notify the other parents of the children in your care (without naming any particular children)?

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I'd say only if it's required reportable by licensing standards.

I would not breach confidentiality like that otherwise. If say a child contracted genital herpes through sexual abuse there is no way I'd be sharing that they did or how they got it if I didn't have to. No need to further traumatize the child or the family by disclosing something so incredibly personal.

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Depends on the illness/disease lists by your state. Otherwise, the child's right to privacy trumps everyone else's desire to know.

For example, everyone wants to know if there is a cold/flu/Fifth's disease, pink eye, etc going around. That is okay to disclose in my daycare, since every family has given verbal permission to share that sort of information. In general, it is still protected medical informations BECAUSE in a small daycare setting it is next to impossible to maintain confidentiality of the "sick kid" AND it is not a requirement to disclose that info anyway.

Regulations state I have to post a notification in the daycare area if there is a non-immunized child attending. Even though I cannot maintain privacy b/c of the size of the daycare, it is still a licensing requirement. I have to report to the dept of health if there is a case of hepA. Herpes is NOT that list, neither is HIV or HepB. It is nobody's right to know if there is someone with those illnesses or conditions. Flu H1N1 was reportable when it was first an issue, it is no longer on the "list".

There is a reason why medical information is private....the actions/reactions on this thread alone are proof as to why.

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Absolutely right! This is an older, resurrected thread but the information in it is evergreen. I am a pediatric NP and I have a specialized daycare. Not currently, but some time ago, we had a little girl with HIV. We could not disclose it to anyone. In fact, mom wasn't obligated to disclose to us even, except the little girl was on antivirals and received a dose daily while in our care.

Universal precautions should be taken for all children, regardless of whether they are deemed infectious or not. As child care providers, myself included, sometimes we become attached to these little people and our vigilance in PPE and other sanitizing measures may fall off a bit. I mean, we've had little Johnnie since he was 6 weeks, he's 5 now, and I have him more waking hours than mom does! We still must wear gloves if we have to help him wipe, and use antiviral/antibacterial disinfectant cleanser after every use of the restroom.

As for an outbreak of GENITAL herpes specifically, that is more likely related to a sexual assault rather than transmission via vaginal delivery. Statistically so. A child who is delivered to an infected mother is treated right away, and ALL children are given drops at birth for infectious diseases that may have been transmitted but never disclosed to health professionals. It is much more likely the outbreaks would occur on the head, torso or back. Herpes that are relegated solely to the groin are absolutely the result of sexual maltreatment.

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I understand HIPAA, but I thought that, for example, if a child came to daycare with Lice, it is the responsibility of the provider to let the parents know that lice has been around the daycare, without telling who the specific child was. Same with this instance, is it possible to say that this virus has been around the daycare, without exposing who the child was?

Not judging or wanting to call anyone out, but just wondering. I know that if I were sending my child to a daycare where a provider had to diaper another child with a STD, I would want to know. What if the provider didnt wash hands between diaper changes, or wipe down the diaper table between every child? (Again, not saying OP doesnt do those things- just thinking about the situation from a parent's eyes).

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Daycare providers are not held to HIPPA laws as far as I'm aware.

You could blab away if you wanted to to whoever you wanted to. I've certainly never signed or had any of my parents sign anything about confidentiality clauses saying what I would or wouldn't discuss with others. I've also never seen that addressed via licensing. Wouldn't be good for business to air anyone's health status I also don't believe it's against the law.

Does anyone have any verification on this?



I do believe parents are required to notify at least licensed caregivers of any infectious illnesses/diseases outlined in state health statutes (which are typically required to be included in a providers policy/parent handbook). It would not be an option to withhold diagnosis information on those listed.

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This thread is making me wonder if I should have a section in my contract or policy that states whether or not the child has any known infectious diseases or health conditions. I am legally unlicensed, but it never ocurred to me to even ask if a child has AIDS, STD's etc. (Can licensed centers require this information)?

I can only think about 2 of my dcks, who have constant nose bleeds. If they had a communicable disease and I was not aware of it, that could jeapordize my saftey and the other kids.

I feel very sad for the child OP is talking about, however the issue does bring some interesting questions to light.

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9502.0345 AGENCY RECORDS
Subp. 2.

Data privacy.

The agency, department, and the authorized agent shall have access to provider records on children in care to determine compliance with parts 9502.0315 to 9502.0445. The provider shall not disclose any records on children in care to any persons other than the parents of the child, the agency, the department, the persons required by part 9502.0375, subpart 1, and medical or public safety persons if information is necessary to protect the health and safety of the child.

That's all I could find for our state.

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I've read the entire book of statutes a handful of times and don't ever remember that part.

THANK YOU!

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It depends on your state, but there are some health conditions (mainly HIV) where there are anti-discrimination laws in place. You can ask for medical information all you want, but the parents are NOT required to tell you, no matter how you word it in your contract. In the case of HIV, my state has - or used to have - a disclosure that is from the health department to notify the school that there is an HIV student enrolled, but the school may never know who that child is with HIV. (the parents notify the health dept, the health dept notifies the school...completely confidential).


In short, putting something in your contract is a false sense of security because generally, you have no right to that information. Not to mention that the parent may not know, either. As a foster parent, I may get a child with HIV, bipolar, FAS/FAE.... I do NOT have the right to disclose that info to anyone. AT ALL. And daycare/school has been determined to be in the "not required to know" category, unless it is shown to negatively impact the care of the child.

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You sign a confidentiality agreement between you and your state licensing agency though. You're not allowed to disclose that info or any for that matter.

I know I wasn't even allowed to disclose the names of some of the kids in my care, much less that they were foster children or the reasons they were with me. Those rules don't across the board apply to licensed daycare situations.





Here's where it gets fuzzy for me......if I'm watching a child who's obviously got some sort of upper respiratory infection, I'm going to require a doctors visit and subsequent diagnosis and treatment to re-admit that kiddo back into care.

On that same note - if I'm changing the diaper of a 1 year old, and they have oozing lesions on their genitals, I am going to require a doctors visit and subsequent diagnosis and treatment to re-admit that kiddo into care.

We require families tell us about the extent of a cold, but parents can legally withhold if their child has something like genital herpes? Why would it be ok to implement scenario number 1, which so many many of us have, but not scenario number 2? Why would the second scenario be protected by confidentiality statutes but not the first?


Do we have NO rights to a child's health information? I don't know how many times I've required documentation from the doctor directly stating a child is no longer contagious with this that or the other.....was I legally not allowed to do that?

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I was just going to point this out!

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I believe you can ask if the child is contagious but can't ask what it is. You know they are sick/have a rash/etc. and can send them in. Dr. can diagnos and let you know if they can come back what ever time frame. Dr. can't tell you what they have-I believe.

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I wonder what the specific federal law is concerning this issue??

I remember hearing a case of a man who knew he had AIDS, and still had unprotected sex with multiple women over a period of years, knowingly infecting them. He was charged with first degree murder, with AIDS being the weapon. Obviously this is with ill intention, but the point is that, had he bothered to use protection with these women, they may have had a chance to live a full life. I relate this to a parent telling a provider, to prevent possible issues for other children involved.

If a parent were to knowingly bring a child with AIDS to care, and not at least tell the provider, with the understanding that the provider would keep it confidential (or even sign a legal confidentiality agreement to protect the child), could the parents of the child be liable if there was a preventable AIDS transmission to another child? I understand not-discriminating, but not even allowing the provider the opportunity to take extra precautions seems just as wrong to me. If the OP's dck did have genital herpes, and she was aware of the situation, she would be able to take extra precautions to protect herself and all of the other children. It just does not seem fair to me to put the provider and other children at risk for a lifetime illness when it can be so easily preventable through information.

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IMO, the child has a reasonable right to privacy of their medical information. Your, and the daycare parents, peace of mind doesn't really factor into that. The bottom line is that providers have NO rights to medical information other than what the state requires for enrollement (TB test, immunizations, Lead screening). You do not have a right to a diagnosis, but most parents are not going to object to it because MOST of the time it isn't going to cause the provider to discriminate against their child. It isn't against the law or against licensing to request this information, but the parents have a right to refuse to give it to you. Just as you have the right to not accept the child back into care for whatever reason.

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1 week after giving birth to my 3rd child prematurely via c section. we found out she had genital herpes on her body. Shocked and completely confused me and my husband of 9 yrs were tested. His herpes type 1 cold sores positive genital negative. I was the opposite on these tests. I have never in my live had any type of herpes lesion on me. So this was very devistating. I thought docs did c section to prevent this so not knowing I had it and her c section how did she get it.
Here's what I think about all this people are not well education on this people are so scared. But how does my husband of 9 yes not have this disease. Please tell me how parents like me take care of our family when we can't keep a job cause we can't keep daycare. Our infectious disease doc says 80 percent 1 in every 4 people have the disease and don't know it cause it stays dormant no out breaks. Hey like me. Was I born with it? Get it by sex? Look this can't be spread by breathing good lord. Doc says u have to have a cut and them have a open blister and puss get in u r glove. So my thought this is so common maybe all day care should use gloves with every kid cause u never know what any child could have. We don't keep this to ourselves hoping u r children get it. We just know if we disclose it we are to blame when I child gets it. Yet the same child could contract it from a kid with no lesions and never know but we get blame cause we were honest. 2 way street here my opinion do u r research understand the disease before u decide.

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I realize this is an old thread, but I find it horrifying that posters equate herpes (a mainly benign virus that statistically most of you have in your systems already anyway) to HIV/AIDS

I've had kids in my care who had "fever blisters" and "cold sores" etc before. All herpes, people.
I practice universal precautions - gloves, toy sanitizing, and hand washing because you never know.

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