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Hey Everyone!
I would really like to know what you all do when a child is unwell. I have certain criteria that if presented a child must be kept/sent home (fever, vomit, diarrhea). But what do you do when a child who has been sick returns to daycare and simply seems unwell (falling asleep at meal times, intense crying fits throughout the day) generally exhausted and unhappy)?
I had a child return to care and yesterday was fine, but today is completely out of sorts! What do I do?
thanks
Normally I just cope, put them on the couch, keep the play as low key as I can without spoiling the fun for the others. Putting the child down for a morning nap. Adding in some tv time for some breaks. That is one of the things we just have to cope with in daycare but you don't have to tolerate if that makes sense. As in child can come but if he cries he goes to bed. If he is falling asleep in meals then for sure he needs a morning nap. That isnt' uncommon after getting over an illness since the body needs time to recover and kids tend to overdue it when they are with their friends.
At the same time watch him for secondary infection - a cold that seems to be gone can also migrate and become an ear infection or the nose can be getting restuffed as in another round is coming. It takes up to 14 days to get over a cold so normally kids only stay home 1-3 of those days when it seems at it's worst and we cope on the days either side of that.
If the child is really unwell, but no fever, I still call home. I even have that in my contract...if the child is not well enough to go outside, play, etc, they should not be at daycare. I had a scary incident yesterday with a child who was obviously sick (but we have all had it, so I decided to let him stay as he was not crying or anythign), but at naptime he woke up crying and wheezing and was having trouble breathing. It was really scary...I thought I was going to have to call 9-1-1, but he started breathing okay once he calmed down. Parents came to get him (he had a bit of a fever too) and he is home today. I wish I had called them in the morning to say the child had lost his voice and seemed unwell; next time I will not hesitate.
In my contract it states that the child has to be well enough to keep up with daycare activities and routine. It's just as important as fever, vomitting etc..
You send them home. If they are not well enough to normally participate in the day then they need to be at home. You are running a group daycare and that means that ALL the kids need to be fit to be there. It is not fair that the entire group not get to go outside or for a walk because of one child.
I do exactly as playfelt stated and have a quieter day. Fever of 101F or vomitting or diarrhea or severe contagious diseases mean that the children should not be at daycare. However, there is nothing you can do about a virus and your description sounds like a child fighting a virus Daycare123. I kinda feel like that myself today!
The first thing I do is take a child's temperature and take it periodically throughout the day when they behave as you described. I worked outside the home all my life and I guess I see things from the parents point of view because employers are really being horrible when people use their sick days over the past several years.
If they are unwell and appear to be sick- I call the parents. Sick kids need to be at home. I run a home daycare and am not equipped to take care of sick children.
My policy says that if they are unable to participate in all daily activities with the whole group, then they must be at home. ie. lethargic/whiny/not eating etc. I am not a 1-1 provider, I have other kids to care for too, and we stick to our schedule. I'm not going to deprive the other kids from activities just because one is unwell.
They need to be able to participate in our day or they need to go home. I had one boy who was not well on Friday. He was whining and crying and just generally not feeling well. He didn't have a fever but had a runny nose (clear). Unfortunately there was no reason to send him home because he was participating in our day (although not happy at all). It is part of the job. I ended up with his cold and have felt like crap all week.
I also have it in my policies that sometimes a child needs to remain at home because they need extra love and attention that they can't get in a group setting. I can't remember how it is written. But if they are inconsolable and clingy they need to remain at home. Luckily the parents I have right now understand this and want their child home with them when they need that extra love and attention. It is usually right at the start or end of an illness where there aren't really any other symptoms aside from them just being 'off'.
We've all felt like that and the last thing you want to do when you feel lousy is to try and keep up with 4 happy, energetic kids (even if they are your friends).