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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Would Anyone Be Willing To Share Their Illness Policy?
Zoe 08:32 AM 11-13-2012
Hi there! I have what I consider a pretty good illness policy, but of course we're always revamping things as we experience different families that point out our weaknesses. Today I had a dcm drop off dcg who was out sick with a fever, sore throat, and cough yesterday. Last night she called me and said that dcg went to the dr who gave her medicine and she has been on it since yesterday morning. So I said yes she could come today.

Cut to this morning dcm shows up with bottles of ibuprofin and tylenol for dcg's fever! WTH?! I told her that I don't give meds for a fever and if she has one she has to stay home. DCM really didn't get it (there is a language barrier here) and said "no the dr. said she wasn't sick it was just a fever, cough and sore throat and the dr. said it was ok for her to come to daycare, just give her some tylenol or ibuprofin." It being 6:30 in the morning I'm caught off guard by this whole thing and take her. Please don't flame me, I get it, I should have turned her away.

So far dcg doesn't have a fever and the minute she does get one dcm is being called. All last week all three of my dck's have come with borderline illness and then this weekend my own kids got REALLY sick. I don't want to start this whole thing over again just because dcg is still sick and bringing it in.

So I'm going to hand out my illness policy to all parents to remind them of the importance of keeping their child home during this time and that even if their child doesn't meet the "guidelines for illness" I still have the right to send their child home at my discretion.

Long story short I think I need a good introduction to my illness policy. I don't really have one, it's more a cut and dry what to do and what not to do. I think it would benefit me to explain to parents that yes, kids get sick, it's a part of childhood. And how if they bring kids sick then I get sick and I'll have to close and you'll have to stay home anyway!

Any ideas on how to word an intro like that? TIA!
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Blackcat31 08:38 AM 11-13-2012
My handbook states: (I have attached the link to the thread where my illness policy is posted. Parents must read, sign/date and return to me)

We are a "well child" day care facility. This means that the occasional mild cough or cold is not grounds for exclusion, however if your child experiences
any of the following; unexplained fever (100 F or higher), diarrhea, and/or vomiting at ANY time 24 hours prior to attendance, they will not be allowed to attend child care.

If your child develops these symptoms during the day, you will be notified and expected to pick up your child within 30 minutes. Please leave names and numbers of responsible relatives and/or friends that can pick your child up if you cannot be reached. In the event that a parent is unreachable or does not respond within 30 minutes after being contacted, emergency contacts will be called beginning with the first person listed.

Keep in mind that when your child becomes ill at child care they cannot return until they have been symptom free (without the use of any OTC medications) for a FULL 48 hours. We have children in care with sensitive immune systems and cannot tolerate exposure to illnesses.

Please use your best discretion when deciding whether or not to send your child to care. We are very active during the day. If your child is unable to participate in normal daily activities or requires more care and attention than the provider is able to give, they should not attend.

Do not mask a fever/illness with an OTC medication before dropping off. This puts ALL children in care at risk. If you suspect your child is ill, please keep them home. A day of rest can sometimes prevent having to be absent for a longer period of time. Please remember the 24/48 hour rule.

Sending your child while they are not feeling well is not only unfair to your child, but to the provider and the other children in attendance.
You will be notified if your child comes in contact with any contagious illnesses, such as strep-throat, pink-eye, head lice, and/or chicken pox.
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:
Re-admission to child care will be at MY discretion ONLY. Please do not assume the doctor can give permission for re-admittance.

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.

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46626
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Brooksie 11:38 AM 11-13-2012
My policy states:

Sick Child:: Maryland law prohibits me from caring for sick children. Therefore, you may NOT bring your sick child to my Home for care. If you give your Child medication to reduce a fever or mask symptoms of illness and bring the sick Child to my Home without telling me about the medication, you will be violating this Agreement, and I will have the right to terminate it immediately. If your child becomes sick while in my care, I will call you, and you must pick up your child promptly. I will keep your sick Child separated from the other children in my care until you arrive. After any illness, your Child must be free of all symptoms (not just fever and vomiting) for at least twenty-four (24) hours before returning to my Home. After a serious illness, your Child will be allowed to return to my Home only with written permission from the Childs’ physician. It is your responsibility to find alternate care for your sick Child and to notify me when your sick Child will not be present in my Home on a scheduled Child Care Day. Please inform me of any contagious illness so I may alert the parents of other children exposed to you Child. The definition of a sick child for the purpose of this Agreement shall be a child who has a fever (100 degrees F. or above), vomiting, diarrhea, a runny nose with thick, discolored discharge, a rash of unknown cause, severe pain, extreme listlessness or other dramatic personality change indicating the child is not well, or any other symptom of acute illness, serious transmissible infection or communicable disease.
Your Child should be able to participate in the normal activities of the day. When having to care for sick children, it keeps me from providing quality care to the other children in my Child Care Home. Therefore, you will have one (1) hour to pick up your sick child/ren.
INT_____
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MarinaVanessa 11:56 AM 11-13-2012
Mine is really long. Here it is:

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 however 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), croup, 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.

It is at the discretion of the childcare provider to determine whether a child can attend daycare. If the child is deemed not well enough to attend the child is to be taken home.

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.

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. Giving a child fever/pain reducer before 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.
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youretooloud 12:01 PM 11-13-2012
I forbid vomiting and diarrhea. But, I'm flexible about everything else.

All my parents work at the same place, so it tends to strike everybody all at once anyway....we just ride it out together.

But, if something is coming out of their body that shouldn't be coming out of their body, I don't want them here. My job ends at nose wiping.
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Zoe 12:43 PM 11-13-2012
These are great, thanks!!! I've cut and pasted a lot and I think it sounds great now. I've also included an intro letter to all of my parents (who are all great by the way ) telling them what I do for them to keep their kids healthy. I like to point out the benefits they're receiving by coming here.

Usually I'm not that strict if it's obviously a cold, but a fever can be anything and after this past week, I really want to take a sick child seriously. It was NOT fun taking care of everyone last week, when every single child including my own were sick.

Here's hoping it's all gone now! Thanks for sharing everyone!
Reply
melilley 11:06 AM 11-27-2012
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
Mine is really long. Here it is:

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 however 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), croup, 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.

It is at the discretion of the childcare provider to determine whether a child can attend daycare. If the child is deemed not well enough to attend the child is to be taken home.

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.

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. Giving a child fever/pain reducer before 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.
I like certain procedures/rules in your illness policy. They are straight to the point! I like the antibiotic policy-I haven't seen one of those yet! Do you mind if I copy some of them for mine?
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MarinaVanessa 01:02 PM 11-27-2012
Originally Posted by melilley:
I like certain procedures/rules in your illness policy. They are straight to the point! I like the antibiotic policy-I haven't seen one of those yet! Do you mind if I copy some of them for mine?
Copy and paste away
Reply
melilley 03:05 PM 11-27-2012
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
Copy and paste away
Thanks a bunch! One more question if you don't mind, do you have a separate illness policy that you have the parents sign or do you just have them sign your handbook/policies as a whole. I hope that makes sense!
Reply
MarinaVanessa 03:17 PM 11-27-2012
I have them sign my contract that says that they agree to follow my contract and policies in my handbook. They keep the handbook and I keep the contract and give them a copy. Parent's sign after each section and then at the very end they sign again.

ITEM ONE: Policy Handbook, Parent’s Guide

This portion of the contract pertains to the policies set forth in the Policy Handbook Parent’s Guide governed by [DAYCARE NAME]. It is the client’s responsibility to read the policy handbook completely before signing. It is the client’s responsibility to abide by all of the policies stipulated in the Policy Handbook, Parent’s Guide in conjunction to this contract.

ITEM ONE AGREEMENT

I, the client, understand the terms and conditions under item one. I have read the terms and agree to these terms.
Sign: _________________________________ Date: ____________________

ITEM NINE: Agreement of These Terms and Conditions
By signing this contract I, the client, indicate that I have read, understand and agree to follow the provider’s contract and policies as stipulated in this contract and DAYCARE Policy Handbook Parent’s Guide and I understand that this is a legal and binding contract between me and PROVIDERS NAME of DAYCARE NAME. I understand that the provider reserves the right to make changes to the contract or policy two weeks before they go into effect unless the state’s policies change in which case the policy will come into effect immediately. By signing this contract I agree to all fee’s and stipulations. I understand that I am signing a legal document. I understand that a waiver of any provision of this agreement does not constitute the waiver of any other provision in this contract or policy handbook.
Sign: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
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melilley 04:08 PM 11-27-2012
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
I have them sign my contract that says that they agree to follow my contract and policies in my handbook. They keep the handbook and I keep the contract and give them a copy. Parent's sign after each section and then at the very end they sign again.

ITEM ONE: Policy Handbook, Parent’s Guide

This portion of the contract pertains to the policies set forth in the Policy Handbook Parent’s Guide governed by [DAYCARE NAME]. It is the client’s responsibility to read the policy handbook completely before signing. It is the client’s responsibility to abide by all of the policies stipulated in the Policy Handbook, Parent’s Guide in conjunction to this contract.

ITEM ONE AGREEMENT

I, the client, understand the terms and conditions under item one. I have read the terms and agree to these terms.
Sign: _________________________________ Date: ____________________

ITEM NINE: Agreement of These Terms and Conditions
By signing this contract I, the client, indicate that I have read, understand and agree to follow the provider’s contract and policies as stipulated in this contract and DAYCARE Policy Handbook Parent’s Guide and I understand that this is a legal and binding contract between me and PROVIDERS NAME of DAYCARE NAME. I understand that the provider reserves the right to make changes to the contract or policy two weeks before they go into effect unless the state’s policies change in which case the policy will come into effect immediately. By signing this contract I agree to all fee’s and stipulations. I understand that I am signing a legal document. I understand that a waiver of any provision of this agreement does not constitute the waiver of any other provision in this contract or policy handbook.
Sign: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Thank you so much! This is what I wanted to say, but couldn't think of how to say it! It couldn't be any more perfect!
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