24 hour illness policy

What would you do?

If you had a dc child who was home with a low grade fever, pink eye, and strep. Dc mommy took dc child to the doctors this morning and received antibiotics. By the time dc child received first dosage it was at lunch today. You have a 24 hour return policy ...

So does that mean the dc child can return at lunch tomorrow or would you let the child come in the morning.

Most of my families wouldn't come for the whole day, but this particular Mom is begging me to let her child come tomorrow morning. What to do, what to do....

(I am a stickler for the rules, so breaking them for a family I am not particularly fond of, is really difficult).

If it is pink eye and strep, I would prefer the meds have been in for over 24 hours so I would ask that they not come for a whole complete day. If it was say an ear infection then that would be different.

Why take a chance of getting it especially if you are not even fond of them

I wouldn't budge for something like strep. Perhaps an ear infection, like a PP mentioned, but not for strep. We just had scarlet fever come through here (also from the strep bacteria) and I'm not interested in doing that again.

Thanks stircrazy and emilys4guppies!

I have a little guy who is doing his first full day today and it hasn't gone well at all. He cried/whined almost the whole morning, even sitting on my lap. So my brain isn't functioning at full capacity.

I kept wondering if I was being paranoid or mean (I have a reputation for being the most strict daycare amongst my friends) and if the extra 4-5 hours really made a difference.

Ps... I defnitely prefer to have over the 24 hours too! I don't have much experience with strep but all I have to do is say pink eye and my daughters get it, so I would prefer for it not to come into daycare ;)

I would definitely not let the child come tomorrow, and to be on the safe side too (cause of the strep). I too am a stickler for being strict, but there's a reason for it!

Mostly my rule is three doses of meds so in theory if he went to the doctor this morning and has at least two doses today and one in the morning he has met my criteria vice someone who goes to the clinic after work and has meds at bedtime, morning and then needs to stay home to get the third. Issue for me would be the eye drops as I don't do them at daycare so if child needs them in the daytime then they need to be at home. I do meds by mouth as needed. The fact this is Monday means there is a chance the others haven't been exposed to all of the germs so one more day off is in order. I would be ok on the strep because of the three doses of meds - likely will have had 4 with the lunchtime dose. It is the pink eye and if the eye is weeping or draining. What I would be telling the parent is that that is why they would be excluded and if she comes it is my judgement at the door and any amount of glassiness or drainage and he goes home so she might as well save herself the trip and just stay home.

Sharon, the child didn't get the meds until lunch. The dosage thing would confuse me (too hard for my brain to compute) because some meds have different dosages in the same in the same time frame, some it is morning and night while others it is morning, afternoon, and night. My girls were even on an antibiotic that required 4 doses in a day and we were expected to wake them up through the night.

I don't know anything about child's symptoms and the mom hasn't volunteered much information, even though I have send 3 emails asking for more details. I am guessing that she was prescribed antibiotics because she told the doctor her daughter couldn't come to care while she has a fever, step, and pink eye until 24 hours and she needs to go to work. The mom's main concern seems to be when she can bring daughter back to daycare. I don't think she can take much more time off work and her boss is refusing to let her work from home now.

I'll email the mom again tonight, my brain is fried after today's events, can't even think about this it seems so small potatoes now.

My gut would be to not let the child come.. I mean- poor kid!

You know its for these reasons that I always make sure my parents have their own back-up, grandparents or other family. I ask this question in the first interview, this is another way to pick your families and who best suits your care. Even for the reason I might get sick on short notice or my own child starts throwing up at least I don't feel guilty calling the night before to say I'm closed.
Or if I know the child is still sick and I'm paranoid about spreading I keep the purell bottle next to me for the day and apply it to the childs hands more frequently, and at least I feel like I tried! But most times there is nothing you can do, I read that a lot of sicknesses are contagious before your even sick. Can't win!

Thank you for all your advice :)

I know you can't win, most illnesses are contagious before the symptoms appear! The good news is her contagious period began on the weekend when she wasn't exposed to daycare.

I am don't have a fear of germies but that might be because normally I don't get sick and my daughters are both teens and being raised in daycare don't get sick too often either.

I however was mainly worried about my 11, 14, and 3 1/2 yr old. Two of them catch anything and everything and I don't need them getting sick and having more grumpies on my hands.

I offered to accept my dcg into care at lunch because that would be about 24 hours and I wouldn't have a conscious of exposing my daycare and play group with possible germies. Daddy took the day off sick to stay with her.

I just wanted to take a moment and submit and update ...

My little one hasn't been in care all week! Not only does/did have strep and pink eye she ended up having thrush as well (caused by the medications).

She continued to fever right up until this morning (5 days now) and she went to the doctor again this morning. I haven't heard any news about the doctors visit yet, but I am hoping she will be getting better soon.