Sickness policy

I said in another post that I didn't have a sickness policy because the parents here are really respectfull, but now I have a new set of parents! Their daughter was sick (diahrrea) here on tuesday. I had to give her a complete shower, from head to toe. She's 3.

So I asked that she doesn't come for at least 24 hours after the last liquid stool. So she calls me this morning, and wants to bring her today. She states that her last liquid stool was yesterday 11 am. So I told her that I would see here only tomorrow because it's a minimum of 24 hours. before coming back to daycare.

Well she asked me to bring her in at 11 am. So 24 hours!

She doesn't have family, a new job, dad is on a photo shoot, blablabla... I felt for her, I said yes.

Now my 2 questions:

1) I do not want to have to deal with people trying to deal with me (hope you understand what I mean) because I really feel for them, and even though I don't regret helping, I do get annoyed a lot by that kind of irrespect! You think if they did it once, they would do it again, or if I sat with them and talked it off, they would understand?

2) Is it too much to ask a 24hours after the last liquid stool?

They are here since last week. This is their second week. The first full time week.

I have one more question:

They also have a 10 months old baby, breastfed, and mom gets here late, so he's starving! He refuses the bottle, and drinks with a sippy cup but so hardly. So I feel baad for the baby and invite mom in to breastfeed before hitting the busy roads with a screaming baby. But as much as I like the company, it is also annoying me.

Please give me your opinion... Hope all was clear!

24 hours is definitely not too much! I have that requirement for diahrea and fever as well. There is a terrible stomach bug going around, so I would be careful! My 16 year old has it and it is awful!!! Perhaps saying that the child cannot come back for at least one full daycare day after fever or diahrea would be simpler...I may think about that too...parents will always try to wiggle in there! As for the baby, I feel for you on that one and understand your annoyance but also that the baby is hungry...maybe you could have her sit in an area alone so that she isn't in your area (not sure if you are set up to accomodate this)...a quiet room on her own with the baby. Has she tried pumping and packing a bottle with breastmilk...or breastmilk in a cup? I had a little guy who didn't like bottle, but would drink it in a cup...he would also cry when his mum arrived with the milk, but she just packed him up and off they went.

On the three year old if they were sent home on Tuesday, stayed home on Wednesday - 24 hours from the time I sent them home is Thursday morning - in a way the mom's only mistake was being honest with you and saying it was 11 am Wed instead of 7 am. Be careful you don't teach parents to lie to you - remember our treating fever discussions. I probably would have taken the child Thursday morning.

On the 10 month old are they only breast fed or eating food. The child should be given a snack just before pickup - cheerios or something they can feed themselves or you giving some applesauce if you have time. Then the child will survive till mom gets them home to be breastfed. By the time she eats baby will be ready for their supper so it becomes a win for everyone.

I'm developing a better sick policy after I had that week where EVERYONE was sooooooooooo sick. Someone posted a link to a great policy that outlines illness, how they are spread, when they are contagious, and how to deal with them. I'm using this to make my own. send me your email and I'll send it to you. it'd be great to send to all parents so that they know the rules.

The breast feeding thing? I dunno what to tell you since you are the one who invited her in to do it in the first place. Hard to retract something like that

I have the 24 hour rule and I think it was really nice of you to let that parent bring her child at 11am so she didn't have to use an entire sick day. Employers are getting worse and worse for letting their employees take sick days. But we have to protect the other children in care so we have to enforce our sick policies.

I breastfed my babies and my youngest would never take a bottle at all, however I would never have asked to feed her in my babysitter's home! This was back in the day when there were only babysitters and we had to return to work after 16 weeks so my baby was barely 4 months old. She was one of 'those' kids that caused great problems and cried all day for her Mom.

Anyway, I like playfelt's suggestion to give the child a little snack to tide them over so you can get them out of your home ASAP!

IMO best way to avoid conflict is clear concise communication about expectations of each other!

My financial contract is two pages long outlines all the various 'payment' scenarios and I also have my 'parent handbook' that outlines what I offer in the program and what I expect from them within the program is 20 pages long - covers everything from my nutrition philosophy, sleep time philosophy, toilet training philosophy, behaviour and guidance and code of conduct for behavior as definitely an illness policy from when it that starts at home or what happens if they take ill within in the program and how it must be handled and so forth - every 'issue/stage' in childhood that a family might typically go through in my care is basically outlined as to how it will be handled in the program so no 'surprises' for them and the key is not only to HAVE the policy but to follow them and if you choose to BEND a policy make it clear it was a one time thing and should not be 'expected' again in the future so plan better next time - otherwise clients WILL push the envelope thinking 'she bent last time so she does not really MEAN what she wrote there' :(

I would definitely develop a clear 'illness policy' so that clients know what to expect upon enrollment around what their child can and cannot attend care with and what the 'consequences' of not following the policy are ...24 hours exclusion SYMPTOM FREE after diarrhea or vomiting is STANDARD in most health units - plus if there is a documented 'outbreak' of something in the community like Rotavirus or Norwalk it goes up to 48-72 hours and again that is free of symptoms ... so from the last time they vomited or had diarrhea! If you do not want a parent holding you to the 'exact hour' I would word it that the child needs to be home a 24 hours plus the remainder of any partial day if the 24 hours falls mid day ... so if you sent them home on Monday with symptoms and they still puked once on Tuesday at 11am they need to be home ALL DAY Wednesday symptom free as well!

As for the concern about 'breast feeding' and having offered the one day and now it being 'a normal routine'- tough call for sure. If you are truly not comfortable with it or do not have the 'time' to always offer this just explain to the client in the MORNING so she can prepare differently 'I really empathize the babe is hungry unfortunately I have somewhere to be tonight and cannot offer the option of staying to feed tonight' ... does she drive cause she could always feed him in the car if absolutely necessary before driving home - lots of mamas have to pull over to feed once in a while?

Or if you do not have anywhere to 'be' persay and are just growing resentful of having to keep her company I would just say your more than welcome to feed but tonight I have some stuff to get done so cannot sit to keep you company." and go about your business?

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Originally Posted by playfelt

On the three year old if they were sent home on Tuesday, stayed home on Wednesday - 24 hours from the time I sent them home is Thursday morning - in a way the mom's only mistake was being honest with you and saying it was 11 am Wed instead of 7 am. Be careful you don't teach parents to lie to you - remember our treating fever discussions. I probably would have taken the child Thursday morning. .

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I will then put it to 48 hours, for those who can't respect a really simple rule and punish the ones that understood and respected it all along! :(

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Originally Posted by playfelt

On the 10 month old are they only breast fed or eating food. The child should be given a snack just before pickup - cheerios or something they can feed themselves or you giving some applesauce if you have time. Then the child will survive till mom gets them home to be breastfed. By the time she eats baby will be ready for their supper so it becomes a win for everyone.

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Thanks for the idea! Yes the child eats food. I applied it today!

I am the one that offered at first for the breastfeeding, so I will assume the consequences! hahaha

Anyway I think that their lack of respect to my policy annoyed me so much that I just started to be annoyed by little details that I would not usually focus on...

I know that having everything in writing is good, and I do have it. But they played on the 24 hours figure. I am going to have to change this in my contract. I will talk to them, at the end of their trial period, next week. That gives me time to think, write something nice and discuss it with them.

I like the wording suggested to change it to one complete daycare day following any day with symptoms so if sick on Wed am that means Thursday is the turn around day and back on Friday.

Yes I like that suggestion from Inspired by Reggio too! I tried to think of how to word it, but it is hard. Any suggestions?

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Originally Posted by Sarah

Yes I like that suggestion from Inspired by Reggio too! I tried to think of how to word it, but it is hard. Any suggestions?

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I would go with something like ... but than I have been told I have verbal diarrhea so someone else might have a more condensed way too say the same thing ;)

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Please note that as per Public Health recommendations children exhibiting symptoms of vomiting and/or diarrhea are required to be excluded from program until a minimum of 24 hours symptom free has passed -symptom free meaning that they are eating normally and have passed a 'normal' movement. In addition if there is an outbreak of Rotavirus or Norwalk within the community exclusion will be increased to 72 hours symptom free.

For example if a child who is sent home at 11 am from program on Wednesday with symptoms of either vomiting or diarrhea did not have any more 'symptoms' on the Wednesday afternoon they would still have to be home ALL DAY Thursday to determine they are indeed symptom free for a FULL day as sleeping hours are generally symptom free for children - they must have eaten and had at least one normal bowel movement on this day - if they have no further symptoms after returning to a normal diet for 24 hour period and have returned to normal bowel movements again they could return to program on the Friday as normal. Please note that if the child who has been excluded for vomiting / diarrhea returns to program has another liquid diarrhea stool they will be determined to NOT be SYMPTOM FREE and will be excluded again so in the interest of not having to take of more time than truly need please ensure you respect the rule that they must have returned to a NORMAL stool before returning to program.

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ouf hahahahaha :) you do have verbal diarrhea hahahah!!! LMAO

But it is a pleasant diarrhea to read!

I require24 hours (minimum) after light sicknesses, and 48 hr after the sick are well, for things such as the flu and other communicable illness. I have noticed I have some parents that will try and push by 4 or 5 hours...I state very clearly my contract is a minimum of 24 hrs, not as "close as possible" to 24 hours. If they can get an inch from you they will try for a mile every time.
I too, would be uncomfortable with having a Mom come in to feed the baby, does she have a "set" pick up time every day? if, feed the baby even 2 oz before she comes and he will be set for the road home, if she doesn't have a "set" time, ask her to give a quick call or text as she leaves work, so you can have the kids fed and ready to go.....again....give an inch.....:)

Can you pls email me the link at fanokm@gmail.com. Thanks!!!!

I have a Wellness Policy instead of a sickness policy. It still outlines all the same things, but the wording makes parents focus on whether their child is well instead of "are they too sick". If they are sick at all, they are not well! I think that the shift in thinking *may* help. I'm a newbie so no experience enforcing yet.