Sending sick children back home

[LittleLuvbugs]

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

[KingstonMom]

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.

[Play and Learn]

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!

[lilac]

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.

[Skysue]

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?

[mom-in-alberta]

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.

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...

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.

[Sarah]

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.

Hi,

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

[sunnydays]

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.

[BCParent]

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.

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.