Yet another vent re sending sick kids.

[3rdtimesacharm]

It's been a while so I have a lot to vent about, apologies in advance!
I have a new daycare family, they've been here for almost 3 months.
Last week mom sends both kids as normal and drop off is usually just a kiss and go. Kids seemed fine, although daycare girls says to me just before lunch her tummy is sore. I give her hugs, she had no fever or anything so I kind of brushed it off. Half an hour later, mom texts me: "hey, how r the kids doing? Xxxxx had a fever last night and I stayed home as I am nauseous and have been quite ill today". ARE YOU KIDDING ME??. Do they not READ the huge section about sending kids who have had symptoms, fever etc for the past 24 hrs?? Kids were fine that day but two other daycare kids of mine were sick that weekend, puking etc. I wonder where that came from!?
Same family, 2 days ago come drop off kids for the day (they were both off that day and we're just doing shopping/lunch date). Anyways as they drop kids off they say to me xxxxx has a rash, we don't know what it is, she had it last night and it's a bit worse today. Omfg. The rash was probably hives to a minor allergic rash as it never progressed with any other symptoms. But still, they should have kept her home until they knew for sure. Smh....

[AmandaKDT]

You need to enforce your policies. The kid with the fever should have been sent home early and the one with the rash should not have been allowed to stay. I have had these kind of issues come up and have had to remind parents in person, face to face, what the illness policies are. I tell them I am not capable of taking care of sick kids and I don't want something possibly contageous being spread around. I also don't get paid if I have to close the daycare if I myself get sick.

If you don't enforce the policies then this family is going to continue to send their kids while sick.

[33 Daiseys]

i have a METAL DOOR SO A COPY OF MY ILLNESS POLICY IS ON THE DOOR, WHERE PARENTS CAN EE IT EVER DAY TWICE A DAY.If its not in their face they forget

[5 Little Monkeys]

I once had a mom take the day off work "just in case" and sent her sick child to daycare. Well to be fair, he was on the mend and had no reason not to come to dc according to my sick policy but he was clearly still not 100% and would have been more comfortable at home with mom but according to her....he missed us!! Good lord...

[Rachael]

You need to enforce your own policies. If you don't follow them, you can't expect your clients to.

When the mom sent the text asking about the children, that was the stage to actually say to HER "ARE YOU KIDDING ME??. Do they not READ the huge section about sending kids who have had symptoms, fever etc for the past 24 hrs??". Had you done that, and told her to get her tale out of bed and come and get her children before the infected the whole house, then the second occasion where they turned up with the rash wouldn't have happened.

If you aren't going to enforce the things you put in your contract, why the heck should clients pay any attention to them. You are in danger now of having set a level of acceptance and you need to rein that in hard and fast.

Have you actually said anything to these parents about either time? If not, why would they do anything different next time?