I do not have a mandatory requirement of immunizations for children entering my home daycare. The greatest risk is to the non-immunized child If another child is carrying or has the antibodies from their shot which puts the other child at risk of catching something.

Also, some of the illnesses immunized against do not actually pose a life threatening risk to themselves or other children so for me, it isn't an issue and I am not going to lose any sleep over it. If by some kind of miracle a child were to have chicken pox, they could still attend daycare as long as they could fully participate, which to be honest is highly unlikely at first with the crazy itching, but not because of them being contagious. If a parent were pregnant then there is a risk to them, but if their child has been immunized, then they won't contract it and take it home anyway. I get where Suzie is coming from, but as an immigrant with teenagers who came to Canada at ages 2 and 4 who had not had the same immunizations, I guess I have a different perspective. Should there be any epidemics, the child who hasn't had their shots would be the one to stay home from care if need be. If a child hasn't had shots, and brings an illness into the daycare but the rest of the group is immunized, there "shouldn't be" any risk of them contracting it anyway. The greater risk is to any other child who isn't immunized. I have all families sign a waiver since I can not be held responsible for any illnesses the children may pick up as a result of being in group care. I also advise parents of my immunization policy, so should they not be okay with it, they can look elsewhere. I won't be the one to say a family can not attend based on their right to choose. That works for me and is rarely an issue anyway. I think it is personal preference and the reasons for and against are valid. Do what you feel comfortable with in terms of your policy.