Caring for a risky child

[gramma]

HI...just wanted to pick everyone's brains on something and see what others would do in this situation.

Last month I started a 12 month old girl into care. The parents live 2 doors down. I usually never do care for neighbours or friends and broke the rule because the parents were pleading and stroking my ego so much that I agreed. lol I woo easily.

We met up formally a few months ago to go over some things in preparation for mom returning to work. They said DCG is easy going, perfectly healthy.

Then just before she started care in January - the parents told me that she had a seizure at the beginning of December because her fever had spiked during a cold and that the doctors assured them that this type of seizure was not uncommon. It was nothing to worry about they assured me.

So DCG started care and was transitioning just like normal. Nothing smooth but nothing unexpected either.

Then two weeks ago she got a cold....probably from all the new germs she was exposed to from the other kids. The parents called me Monday morning and told me that she had to go to the local hospital because she seized again during the weekend. She had to spend 2 days in hospital and apparently it was really serious where she was turning blue and could not get oxygen during her seizure.

The seizure happened during her nap....it was just lucky that the mom went in to check on daycare girl or else she could have even passed away from lack of oxygen.

So the girl is now expected to come back to daycare in a few days and I am starting to panic.

What if she returns and has a seizure during nap at daycare and something happens? I am often busy during nap, filling out reports, prepping afternoon snack, relaxing or doing laundry etc. What i it happened here and I don't notice? I have a video monitor I can use for her but I might not see every single minute.

And I have 4 other kids in care alongside her every day. I am getting nervous how to watch this girl with an eagle eye for fevers/seizures when they could literally be life or death and I have other kids to worry about.

I am starting to panic and wonder if I should find a way to tell this family that I feel the responsibility is just too much. When I think of the liability and possible outcomes and when they tell me how close she recently came to actually being near death from lack of oxygen I panic.

Am I over-thinking? I feel awful to ever tell them I don't feel I can provide the care that their little one needs but I also feel scared to continue on. I am torn. On one hand I am responsible for keeping all the little kiddos alive and well and keep an eye on them every day so it is no different but on the other hand I feel it is different because now there is a pattern/previous history established.

What would you do??? Recommendations??

first thing that comes to mind is why the parents would think that a home daycare situation is the right place for the dd. the second thing is that they dont know what the child is suffering from. they want to put her back in daycare and hope that it doesnt happen again. as a mother, i wouldnt be trusting anyone to provide the care that this child needs (no offense to you at all). This child needs to be the only focus of the person looking aftr her until a proper diagnosis is made. I would tell the parents its too much for you. they are being very irresponsible in my opinion.

[Spixie33]

first thing that comes to mind is why the parents would think that a home daycare situation is the right place for the dd. the second thing is that they dont know what the child is suffering from. they want to put her back in daycare and hope that it doesnt happen again. as a mother, i wouldnt be trusting anyone to provide the care that this child needs (no offense to you at all). This child needs to be the only focus of the person looking aftr her until a proper diagnosis is made. I would tell the parents its too much for you. they are being very irresponsible in my opinion.

Well they did get a diagnosis in December that it was Febrile seizures meaning the girl has a seizure when her fever gets too high. They were given information from the doctor and told it was not serious.
THen the seizure two weeks ago happened and the child had to be hospitalized and the doctors said she almost died. That is when the whole situation became more serious.

There are complex seizures and simple seizures and it looks like the latest one was a complex one which could be life threatening.

No offense taken. I personally agree and am not sure how a parent could leave their child in daycare after this situation that happened but I am wondering if they feel like they have no other choice because they have to work. They may feel like the risk is okay because I will call 911 at the first sign of seizure and their daughter will get the proper help. However...I am scared of missing the seizure or not paying attention enough or being liable if something happens etc.

I thought I was signing on a perfectly healthy child so this whole situation just came out of left field.