Sickness Policy

[alexsmommy]

What sickness policies do you have?
I am considering adding a policy concerning colds. I have no problem when a child has a cold with a little runny nose come to daycare but when they come with their noses runnying like a faucet I get a little upset. This week I had a parent drop off their child and say he`s not going to school today because he`s sick but they thought it was ok to bring him to daycare. He had a horrible cough and his nose was so runny. I now have 4 other dck sick with colds and mad parents. My son is sick too.
Does anyone else turn away children with bad colds?
Am I being to strict.
Thanks

[Spixie33]

Wow.That was pretty gutsy of the parents to think they could still send a child to daycare but not to school. Pretty inconsiderate and clueless.
I have an area for sickness in my contract which says that I cannot properly take care of a sick child and also tend to the needs of the other children. I would hope that parents could understand that.
In terms of colds, I have written down that any green drainage or excessive drainage could be reason to send the child home.
You are not being too strict

[KingstonMom]

uggg I so hear you. I had one parent periodically send their kid to daycare with "allergies". (She was 13 months old)
Low and behold everyone else at daycare got "allergies" too. Everyone had the double nostril boogers hanging and constant sneezing and me sanitizing floor to ceiling for a good 2 weeks until their "allergies" dissappeared. The kid had a cold and then of course, everybody else got it.
In my contract I do not include colds because they are so common but they are soooo frustrating when one goes around. I don't allow vomiting, diarrhea, pink eye, any of those illnesses but do not have a policy against colds.
It is inconsiderate, however, because I am pregnant and can not take any meds to defend myself against the booger monsters (as they are so affectionately referred to) during this time. So not only are they helping the other kids get sick, but they are exposing me to it and I am the one who is caring for them!!
We have not had any colds here since May or June but with the new baby coming in a month and I will be back at it when baby is 2 weeks old, I am considering asking parents to only send dck if they are in complete 100% health for at least the winter. for the consideration of a newborn in the house, at least.
Keep the colds at home, please.

To answer you question more directly, I would suggest that if the kid was too sick to attend school, then they are too sick to attend daycare. Make an amendment to your contract and have them sign and agree to. Something like, "For the consideration of a sick child, who may be too sick to attend school, the best place for them would be at home. It not only spreads the germs with others, but, perhaps the child is too sick to participate in regular daycare activities and is not fair to the others if "Jimmy" is too sick to go to the park, or does not want to take part in the game of musical chairs etc"

[sunnydays]

I have the first cold of the season swooping through my little group right now, so I hear you! However, for parents, it would be impossible to keep their child home every time they have a cold or the child might be home for most of the winter! I think if there is a fever or if the child is not well enough to take part in regular activities, you can send them home. I have that in my policy. As a parent with young children myself though, I am patient with these things because if it is my own kids, I cannot close the daycare or have my husband stay home every time they have a cold either. Only if they are too sick to go to the park, etc.

[zen39]

I have the same problem, guess most do. I don't have an issue with children and colds, they all get them, including mine. But inevitably there is always that one child who has that excessive amount of snot that is beyond normal. I have that particular child here and it's crazy. I'm talking week after week this child is sick with a cold. I actually started to keep track of any days when she didn't have a constant runny nose. I managed to make it through 11 days in the summer. She has those massive snot bubbles that come out of her nose every time she sneezes and then the rest of the time it just hangs in long, stringy globs. Really gross.

I even had two neighbors comment on the amount of kleenex boxes in my recycling bins out at the curb. Anyhow, I finally spoke with the mom because this has been going on for months and it's not right. She's booked an appointment with a nose, throat specialist. I'm reaching my snot limit on this one. I can handle it for a couple of days, but not week after week.

[mom-in-alberta]

Uggghhhh. This thread makes me queasy.... I can handle puke and poop better than I can do the snot thing.
I don't have a policy on colds, specifically. But I do extend the sick policy to say "if a child cannot participate in our normal activities" then they need to go home. So the dripping noses we deal with, until or unless the little person is feeling generally unwell.
KingstonMom: good idea, actually asking the parents to be a little more aware of germs, in respect for the baby in the house. I am starting up again next Monday, with a new 2 week old infant. I will absolutely be putting that in the "welcome back" newsletter!!!

[CountryMommy]

I don't have a sick policy for mild colds. But if the colds are more severe where their noses are constantly running, I send them home. Same goes for colds are accompanied by fevers, chills, red and tired looking eyes. If they cough up mucus or, they go home. Actually, if they have any cough accompanied by a cold, they go home.

[mammamia]

Hello, I am probably the only daycare around that allow common illnesses to enter my home. In fact the only way to be turned away here is if there is vomiting or diarrhea or temp over 102. Just about everything else is allowed. My motto is "you can't build a strong immune system by running away from exposure to illness". In the beginning, sure everyone got sick-with everything as kids usually do when they start daycare or school and it went around in circles. But after awhile, as their immune systems got used to the different exposures, I rarely have an ill child now. When I do, it's very short lived in most cases. With that said, I also allow unimmunized children in my daycare and to tell you the truth, it's only the immunized children that ever take time off due to illness (severe illness that developed after common things like colds, flus, etc) Literally! Luckily we have more unimmunized kids here than immunized so I'm rarely out any money and these kids don't miss out on all the fun at daycare. I'm just sharing what I've witnessed with my own eyes. It's not for everyone, but like someone else mentioned you would never have any kids in your care if you always sent them home with colds. This is what's worked for us. PS, I have only ever took 1 day off in the last 3 years due to illness and I believe it's because I am constantly exposed to these illnesses. I've had everything from colds, flu, pneumonia, strep, "allergies", even chickenpox run through my daycare over the years, and I still have only ever been sick once and my kids have yet to miss any days from school! We are lucky to have built a strong immune system over the many years of doing daycare! Parents' appreciate it too, when their kids are rarely sick!

[mom-in-alberta]

Not that I disagree with you, mammamia, but for me it's in large part about the comfort and care of the child, also. I know when I am sick, I just want to be in my jammies in my own bed. I don't see why a little person would be any different. And if I am devoting all of my attention to one child, because they are ill and deserve that extra attention, I don't want to feel like I am taking away from the other kids to do so.
I am sure that your parents all love that you have that policy, though. I hate having to call and say "come get your kiddo", because it's not usually taken well!!

[playfelt]

My policy is pretty similar to mammamia. I think being the mom of 4 kids that you just get used to it in the sense of when one is sick you can't send the other three away or keep them and send the sick kid away. And yes sometimes it went through them all and other times confined to just 1 or 2. I find my daycare is the same way. The children that get plenty of sleep, eat proper foods, play actively tend to fend off more than the others. Large blocks of freeplay allows kids that are feeling sluggish to choose alone and quiet activities. I adjust meal times and what I serve, naptimes, etc. based on the needs of the kids anyways.