Quote Originally Posted by playfelt View Post
Even a child that has something and comes to care will not necessarily infect everyone else. Not all viruses are that virulent. Often I have had one of my own kids get sick and miss a couple days of school and no one else in my family or the daycare get sick and I never went overboard following them around with disinfectant either.

I tend to look at this as family care and we just care for whatever the "family" member needs that day. Having said that I use my best judgement when dealing with each situation.
I agree that not every illness is contagious but because we do not know if the symptoms presented are contagious, we have an obligation to protect ourselves, our family, our helpers, and the other day care children. Knowingly taking a child that presents vomiting, fever, etc. is taking a risk that could cause liability should the illness be contagious and someone else become ill with a far greater reaction to the virus or bacteria. I don't want the liabiity. I'm not registered as a sick child care. They have different regulations. I'm a well child care.

I also agree that we are family providers but I don't agree that we should assume the role of family when a child becomes ill. Illness should be managed within your own family and shouldn't affect other families. I don't have a single client who would agree to me keeping a kid who has been up all night puking so that I could assist the family of the ill child. The parents don't hire me to be the other parents family members and step in when family is needed.

When you decide to have a family you must assume the responsibility that comes along with that. It means you will have sick children and you must be able to manage that within your family and not expect non family members to pick up the slack. You shouldn't expect non family members to be exposed because it is in your best interest to work. We are NOT their family. Their child's illness has nothing to do with my family or the families that attend my child care. It's not appropriate to make it have to do with our families.

I have the same policies for illness that the Des Moines Public School has. I developed my policies after being a school nurse for three years for the DMPS. When my school ager is sick they don't care for him because I need them to. They send him home. They don't care if I can manage it or not. They don't care if I miss work. They don't care how long it takes for him to be symptom free. They don't do ANYTHING at all to assist me when he is sick.