dck age 1 was diagnosed with pink eye on Saturday. Has been on drops for the minimum 24 hours but is waking from sleep with crusties.

My rule on pink eye is 24 hours on drops AND no drainage.

My concern is the child rubbing their eyes and transferring dried drainage that way. Being 1 I don't have a concrete way to ensure the child does not rub their eyes. Nor do I have a way to separate the child all day. I have said no drainage before returning to care.

Am I being too strict? What would you all do with regards to the child returning to care?

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Personally, I'd ask dcm to keep the child home if the eye is still draining. I just googled it and based on what I read, kids can be contagious 24 - 48 hours after starting treatment. Depending on when treatment was started on Saturday, the child may still be contagious. Given how easily it spreads, I'd ask for one more day out of day care to minimize the risk that the other kids will end up with it, too. Just my opinion. I tend to err on the side of caution with these things.

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24 hrs is not enough. This is what it says in my Handbook under "Keep Us Healthy" policy:

"Children are not allowed to attend daycare with eyes that are red, swollen, goopy or crusty, and/or eyes that are weeping with clear or cloudy drainage. They must be completely free of both running and dried drainage around their eyes before they can return to daycare. We do not accept doctor's note allowing children to return to daycare after treating conjunctivitis if the redness, drainage, and/or crusts over eyes/eyelashes are still present."

There. No is a NO.

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Pink eye must be completely clear before returning. It is one of those illnesses that is so easily spread, even after drops are administered. So I don’t think you are being strict enough!

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I get pink eye really easily. My policy is 24 hours on drops and no drainage. So no you're not too strict.

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I realized at lunchtime that I had pink eye on Halloween. I did an online appointment during nap and started meds after work. I was closed the next day, when I reopened Monday, the itching had stopped. No one touched my eye and I continuously washed my hands.

I got pink eye from my DS coughing in my eye.

Now, I knew what I was doing and was able to keep my infection from spreading. But I would not trust a toddler to do the same and I would have to exclude. Only one DCM noticed my eye and By Monday you couldn't tell.

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My policy specifically states no drainage as well. Pink eye is so contagious-you don’t want that for yourself let alone the other kiddos and their families.

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