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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Never Had To Enforce Sick Policy Before...
EchoMom 05:59 AM 02-21-2013
I've never had to enforce my sick policy before, but now I've just had a situation I'm uncomfortable with...

DCP called this AM saying she'd be taking DCB to Dr. first thing this morning and then may bring him in after. She came just a half hour later than normal drop off time and said Dr. said he had sinus infection and a course of antibiotics prescribed, he had a low grade fever last night but not one this morning. She said she gave him Ibuprofin right after Dr. visit.

I told her that if the fever came back I would call her to pick him up because we can't have fever at daycare.

Should I have turned them away at the door?
But I can't prove he had a fever and she only admitted to it being low grade and she said he didn't have one at Dr. this morning. But she did give him Ibuprofin. I just took his temp and he's fine right now. He's laying down resting.

This is what my sick policy says (I think I probably need to make it firmer?)

Children's Illness
Children may not attend daycare sick. Doing so can endanger very young babies that may be present and spreads illness to other families whose parents may have to miss work. Children with mild cold like symptoms and are otherwise feeling and acting well may attend. Acceptable symptoms include clear runny nose, slight cough, and a slight (under 100 degrees) or no fever. Unacceptable symptoms include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, vomiting, green or yellow mucus, pink eye, fever over 100 degrees, and lice. Cuts and scrapes must always be treated and covered before arrival at daycare. Full contracted payment is due even if child stays home ill.

If children become ill while at daycare, parents will be notified and must pick children up the same day. Symptoms must not be present for 24 hours in order to return to daycare.
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SilverSabre25 06:02 AM 02-21-2013
I'm a wimp and you were all exposed yesterday so I would probably have rolled my eyes inwardly and accepted the child.
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daycarediva 06:09 AM 02-21-2013
I would have accepted him, although I WOULD have asked for a dr's note with a diagnosis if I had known she was taking him in. A sinus infection isn't contagious, if he is able to participate and his fever doesn't spike, he could stay here.
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TheGoodLife 06:12 AM 02-21-2013
Just a suggestion, I would add "unmedicated" to your last sentence- "Symptoms (Fever) must not be present for 24 hours, without the use of medication, in order to return to daycare." Also, did you ask for a Drs. note? I always ask for one if I know beforehand that they are having a sickness visit. Good luck keeping everyone healthy.
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Blackcat31 07:27 AM 02-21-2013
I have a clause in my policies that says any illness/condition requiring antibiotics means the child needs to remain out of care until they have been on the antibiotics for 24 hours.

It is just a safety precaution as even an ear infection causes discomfort for a child so I prefer they have a day at home resting before returning.

I also make sure my parents understand that if they feel their child needs medication (Tylenol/Advil) just to make it through the day, then they really shouldn't be in care and should be home resting. The same thing applies to Dr visits. If the child requires one, they shouldn't be in care. If it is just a routine visit, then they are encouraged to go AFTER daycare not before.
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Meyou 08:15 AM 02-21-2013
I exclude for the first 24 hours on antibiotics as well.
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rmc20021 08:40 AM 02-21-2013
I would also take out the part of where it says if the child becomes ill they need to be picked up the same day...that leaves them open to wait until the end of the day.
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MarinaVanessa 09:21 AM 02-21-2013
Wow, my illness policy is super strict and super long compared to yours.

I require a 24 hour exclusion if they had a fever and would have definitively have required DCK to stay home as soon as I was told that he had a fever the night before. The 24 hours starts when the fever goes away without medication so if DCK had a fever last night then he wouldn't have been able to come until tomorrow.

I also require a 24 hour exclusion after starting antibiotics (thank you BlackCat).

I also don't allow kids on any type of fever/pain reliever in daycare. If they need it then they are too sick for daycare and should be home.

Here is my entire sickness policy (like I said, it's SUPER long):

Illness Policy
We understand that all children have minor illnesses from time to time that do not prevent them from attending daycare; however, there are certain circumstances where children cannot attend.

We are a well-child daycare and although we understand that it is an inconvenience for a client to take time off of work when a child cannot attend daycare there are reasons for the exclusion.

Any time that an ill child doesn’t feel well enough to participate comfortably in activities requires more care than the childcare provider is able to provide without compromising the health & safety of the other children. An ill child can also quickly spread illness to the other children in the group. This is group care and the needs of the group as a whole take priority.

Symptoms for Exclusion
Keep your children home if they exhibit any of the listed symptoms. Children must be excluded for 24 hours after the symptoms of the illness have subsided without the aid of medication. Do not confuse this with the onset of symptoms, meaning the 24 hours begin after the child’s symptoms disappear. If a child is sent home sick, a minimum of 48 hours exclusion will be required.

No matter what the cause is, a child is not able to attend daycare if the child exhibits any symptoms for exclusion. Those include but are not limited to:
 Severe sore throat/coughing/colds or strep throat.
 Fever of 100° F or above.
 Green/yellow discharge from nose or eyes.
 Ear discharge.
 Head lice, nits or scabies.
 Three or more watery stools within 24 hours.
 Two or more occasions of vomiting within 24 hours.
 Severe diaper rash.
 Chicken pox.
 Conjunctivitis (pink eye).
 Mumps, measles, influenza, pertussis (whooping cough), croupe, impetigo, tuberculosis, rubella, rosella, etc.
 Any type of body rash.
 Intestinal worms, ringworms, pin worms etc.
 Anything contagious and transmittable.
 Any ailment that requires fever or pain medication.
 If the child is too tired or fussy to participate in normal activities.

If a child becomes ill at daycare the client will be contacted and the child will need to be picked up within one hour. During the time spent waiting the ill child will be separated from the other children and given the opportunity to rest.

If a child becomes ill at home please call the childcare provider so that we can look out for signs of spreading illness.

Re-admittance after Exclusion
In certain situations, a medical form must be filled out and returned before your child can be re-admitted into care. These forms require a written diagnosis from the child's physician (not a nurse) and must state the following information:
• The child’s name.
• The diagnosis
• The treatment
• Length of recommended exclusion
• Clearance which states that the child can return to daycare without the risk of infection to others.

It is at the discretion of the childcare provider to determine whether a child can be Re-admitted to daycare. Please do not assume the doctor can give permission for re-admittance.

If the childcare provider deems that the child is not well enough to attend the child is to remain at home.

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 the discretion of the childcare provider and will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Medication
The childcare provider will not administer any type of medication at daycare. This includes prescription and non-prescription medication. If a child needs medication of any kind a dosage schedule must be set up that does not include the hours that the child is in care. Clients are required to notify the childcare provider any time that their child is on any type of medication so that we can look out for possible reactions to the medication.

Keep in mind that fever reducers and pain relievers do not cure illnesses, they simply mask symptoms. If a child is given any form of fever reducer or pain reliever then this means that the child is not well enough to attend daycare and is required to be kept home for a minimum of 24 hours from the time that the last dosage was given.

Do not send a sick child to daycare by giving a fever/pain reducer to mask the symptom. The effects of the medication will eventually wear off (usually between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. if given in the morning) and it will be apparent to the childcare provider that the child was given medication. In the day care field this is commonly known as the "dope and drop". Giving a child fever/pain reducer and bringing a child to daycare are immediate grounds for termination.

Topical products such as lotion, diaper rash ointment, sunscreen, children’s toothpaste, etc. are the only exception but require written consent. Topical products must be provided by the client in unopened and original containers and labeled with the child’s name and must remain at the daycare at all times.

Antibiotics
Children that are put on a new regimen of antibiotics must be excluded from daycare for the first twenty-four (24) hours of starting the dosage. This is to minimize the risk of infection to the other children as most antibiotics take a full 24 hours to take effect and render the infection incommunicable. It also helps minimize the risk of the child having a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotic while at daycare. Children exhibiting symptoms for exclusion due to antibiotics must still follow the illness policy.

Immunizations
A copy of every child’s immunization records must be kept in each child’s file. If for any reason a client chooses not to have the child immunized, a “Personal Beliefs Affidavit” must be completed and kept in the child’s file instead.

All children are required to stay home for a minimum of 48 hours after being immunized. Children exhibiting symptoms for exclusion due to immunizations must still follow the illness policy.

We suggest that a child’s immunizations be scheduled on Friday afternoons to minimize the time that a client must take off of work. This way the child’s required recovery time can pass through the weekend.
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MsJen 07:25 AM 09-19-2020
If a child is home sick with covid symptoms and requires a covid test do you allow their sibling (with no symptoms) to come to dayhome?
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e.j. 10:05 AM 09-19-2020
Originally Posted by MsJen:
If a child is home sick with covid symptoms and requires a covid test do you allow their sibling (with no symptoms) to come to dayhome?
No - at least not until the sick child is tested and found to be negative for COVID. Since you don't know yet if the sick child has COVID or not, the assumption has to be that he is positive and that the sibling has been exposed. It's my understanding that the sibling should be quarantined and not at day care. If the child who is sick tests positive, the sibling would have to quarantine for 14 days from the date of last exposure. If the child who is sick tests negative, then you can take the sibling back into care, assuming he still has no symptoms.
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Meeko 02:59 PM 09-19-2020
I exclude all children who cannot participate in the regular day. A child who needs to lie down and rest, or feels "off" or can't play outside as per normal....needs to be at home.
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Ariana 10:15 AM 09-21-2020
A fever, an infection, a DR visit and antibiotics? He would not be allowed in my house. I have 48 hrs after First dose of antibiotics because that’s how long they take to work and 24 hours after fever. He likely did not have a low grade fever if she took him to a Dr.
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sahm1225 02:30 PM 09-21-2020
Originally Posted by Ariana:
He likely did not have a low grade fever if she took him to a Dr.
That was my thought too. Why did she take him to the doctor? Let’s be honest that it a child has a low grade fever and zero symptoms, what prompted mom to take the temp? I’m not sure about their pediatrician, but ours would’ve said to monitor the temp to see if it goes up and lots of fluids.
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