Hello,
Do you have very specific exclusion criteria (ex. fever, vomiting...) that you use to exclude sick children for the day or send them back home?
:huh:
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Hello,
Do you have very specific exclusion criteria (ex. fever, vomiting...) that you use to exclude sick children for the day or send them back home?
:huh:
i send kids home for any one of the following:
-fever
-vomitting
-diahrea (more than once)
-just an inability to follow the daycare pace if they're not feeling well.
Same as gcj. Especially if they're 'off' - they just want their mommy or daddy!
I usually ask parents to come pick up if vomitting and diarhea is presenting. For fever as well if high and with coughing and cold symptoms. You know, once a child whose mom told me child would be on holidays at a certain time one summer popped up at my door the Monday morning she was to be off, it so happened that I had to close because me, my 2 kids (5 and 3) at the time, and 2 daycare kids all caught the chicken pox!! Apparently we were all exposed about the same time and the physical evidence appeared the same time. Well when I realize what I had the Sunday I called my daycare clients except this parent who was to be on holiday . And that is why they turned up too because the child had chicken pox and l learnt this later that stepdad hadnt had it so as a precaution they were taking child to daycare. I know the contagious period passes when the spots appear but child had lots and was crying too when I opened my door. All this mom did when i told her I am close for the week , was to laugh. And lied saying she did not tell me child was going on holidays as of the Monday when I told her she said they were going on holdiays that is why i didnot call her .
Now if I was not sick as well I think I would have had to turn child away because of the itching and crying .
I have very strict illness policy in my handbook... A provider is no good to parents if she or he has to take time off because they have gotten ill.
I have a strict illness policy as well. I will not accept children into care that have fevers, unexplained rashes, vomiting, diarrhea (more then 2) Pink Eye, or any discharge from the eyes.
Once they are free from their symptoms for 24 hours, they can return to care. Children with common colds are allowed to attend daycare, providing they can fully participate in our daily activities. If they aren't well enough to participate, then they aren't well enough to attend daycare
i agree with jersey girl and i will send them home for the same
Just wondering if anyone else uses backup childcare workers? I usually have a backup provider for when I am sick or need a day off. I'm finding that parents knowingly bring sick children and then I end up sick. In the last new months I have had to pay hundreds for a backup... It'd almost like they bring them because they know I never close. What are your thoughts? Am I creatin g a situation where parents feel its okay?
My husband is my back up, just 2 weeks ago I had to close down daycare on Tuesday (Monday was family day), and hubby took over Wednesday to Friday. I ended up with bronchitis that just knocked me out, I was bed ridden for 3 days straight. I have never been so sick before in my life, and I still haven't done a full recovery yet!
I have a strict illnes policy with fevers, rashes, pink eye, diarrhea, roto/noro viruses etc but for the common cold or ear infections I accept the child UNLESS the child is too ill to participate in our activities. I don't get sick too often, I have taken 4 sick days in almost 16 years now.
In my opinion, your sick policy should reflect the needs of your family; meaning to protect your own children and yourself. If you get sick often or have your own little ones at home then you need to have a stricter illness policy, if you don't get sick too often and your own children are growing older then your policy can be a little more linient and protect/limit the exposure to the other daycare children.
ps littlelovebugs ... I find that parents knowingly bring their children to daycare sick too! They give them meds in hopes that the fever doesn't come back until home time, or neglect to tell me that the child had thrown up in the night hoping it was an isolated incident, or my favourite is 'oh it is just teething' etc. I often feel that the parents who do this are 'career parents' where it seems like their first priority is work then children. Where 'working moms/dads' seem to be more willing to take time off when their children are ill becasue work is second. Sometimes, I know that parents can't take the time off whether it be because that particular time work is busy or important meetings, or ran our of their allotted sick days etc, so they try and 'sneak' things by. I prefer a family who is honest with me, provides me with the information, and lets me make an informed decision :)
Im a bit late responding LOL YES! I totally agree that parents knowingly bring their kids sick. I have a little boy here who has the "tail end of a cold" He is misrable and thick snot is pouring out. Seriously makes me HATE my job :(
On Monday I had a dcg (18 mos) come and her mom tells me, as she is removing her shoes that she has an eye infection. I did not have the backbone to tell her to put her back in the car, and I took her in anyways. She has crap leaking from her eyes and I am constantly wiping it out. Later I asked her it if it contageous. "ummm yeah i guess it could be if the other kids touch her eyes..." OMG LUCKLY non of the other kids have gotten it...yet. She was at the clinic on the weekend getting meds for it. You wodul think she would run it by me via text or email or something and ask if she shoudl bring her. (This mom was signed on BEFORE I had developed a contract with a sick policy btw)
Now today I have another dcg (also 18 mos) arrive in just a diaper. Get this- the dad hands me over her vomited on clothes, (to wash I assume) asks if I can put her in her spare outfit I keep here. She threw up in the car on their way over here and he had to clean out the carseat etc. I am thinking, why dont you turn around and take her home then???? PEOPLE!!! This girl is a weird one and it apparantely was just a one time thing, cause she is totally fine for the rest of the day today....so far. He called from work to check on her so that was considerate, but i am still a little stunned by giving ME her dirty clothes!!
I really wish I were better at confrontation than some of you more experienced providers. And I wish my parents had a little more common sense than they do.
KingstonMom - you need to find your Backbone NOW!!!!!
I would have turned both parents away. Your child is sick, and should be at home, not at daycare getting everyone else sick! Enforce the sick policy, and have each parent sign off on it. You'll appreciate it later!
I have a lot of school age kids, so as well as my list of when not to send your kids, I also tell the parents that if they are not well enough to go to school, they are not well enough to come to my house either.
Hi,
What would you ladies do if a sick child had a sibling in your care? I had a sick child on Tues who had the flu and I sent both home due to him being exposed to her illness? Any thoughts?
UH-UH!!! NO WAY, to both scenarios. As much as I understand that it is more difficult for some people to call into work sick than it is for others..... tough. I have myself and a number of other children's welfare to look after. Like others have said, what good is a sick provider? Or how happy will all the other parents be to find out that their child now has an infection/flu/other communicable illness because I KNOWINGLY allowed a child to stay. Especially if they have missed out on work out of consideration for everyone else. There are enough germs floating around a multi-child environment, we don't need to encourage those that are known!! Sounds to me like these parents are trying to push it as far as they can...Quote:
Originally Posted by KingstonMom
And for the record, my rules are: diarreah (more than one), vomitting, fever (unrelated to teething) or a general inability to take part in dayhome activities (ie. child just wants to lay on the couch and not play, eat, etc). I will call a parent and the expectation is that someone is there to pick the child up within approximately an hour. A child must be free from these symptoms for 24 hours before coming back.
Hi,Quote:
Originally Posted by KingstonMom
I agree with the girls, you must find your backbone. It does not matter at all if they don't have it in their contract, just add it to their contract RIGHT AWAY. If they don't sign and agree, than give them a 2 weeks termination notice.
As per the eye problem, all my 3 kids add congestion in their eyes regularly as babies, and the daycare they used to attend were always sending them home. At some point, they beleived me and stopped calling. My kids were not contagious. They just were congested in their eyes. Other kids have runny nose, mine had runny eyes!!! lol!!! :)
As per the vomitting, maybe her breakfast just didn't make it! I would have taken her also. But not the clothes. Command! He can just take them back, throw them in the garbage, I do not care, I would not have taken them! But the child yes, and I would have isolate her for an hour or two (like far from the others!!!).
Sarah
Vomiting, diahrea, fever, rashes, eye discharge (unless verified by a doctor to be non-contagious) all are cause for a child being sent home or refused care until they are symptom free for 24 hours (except common cold symptoms). It's not fair to me, to the other kids, or to the child him/herself. There is no way I can give a sick child the TLC they need while caring for 4 others aside from the contagious factor. If my kids have any of the above, my husband stays home and stays with them. Same rules. Plus, I won't give non-prescription medication such as Tylenol. If they are sick enough to need it, they should be home.
LOL! You know, I just had this same scenario with one of my little daycare boys and he's a rambunctious turd (cute as a bugs ear though!) who flops on everyone. As Mom was handing him over to me she casually says, "Do you think this is pink eye?" Ummmm....holy heck yeah it's pink eye!! And I pulled my hands back and said, "Oh no! Home! Home!" and we both laughed and he ended up being off for 4 days. No way will I let pink eye come in my house...lol. I had FIVE! FIVE eye infections last year and I've never had one in my life. Not sure how I even got them because those times the kids didn't have them but still...no, no, no.Quote:
Originally Posted by KingstonMom