Question for Childcare Providers..Please Help!!!

Wow. You have really gone the extra mile to help this child. I am not a child care provider but I am a teacher so I sympathize with you. I sometimes get my students germs and the parents know that there child is sick (free childcare for them-germs for me and my family). You are very commited and it shows. It makes me feel good that you do go the extra mile but on the otherhand its unfair to you and the other children getting exposed. I do think that you should make a clear expected guideline on "sick policy". Good luck and don't let this incident scare you away. Hang in there and let us know how you are doing.

Hi, E.. You did not mention if the sickly child was under medical treatment. Repeated infections can be a sign of poor care and/or lack of medical management. Tough questions are in order to the parent(s) of this child. Haven't they ever heard of antibiotics?? If they can't or don't do doctor visits, politely ask them to find another provider and accept someone who does believe in medical treatment. This can be considered a form of child neglect. Good luck.

Hi E.. I am sorry to hear about this...it must be hard. I am a director at a Daycare Center. When our children enroll we provide the parents with a handbook, outlining exactly what we expect from them...i.e. payment, communication for calling children off...etc. It also states clearly when you are not able to bring child to the daycare. And that our staff can use our own judgement when it comes to a sick child and their attendance. Fever over 100 degrees, diarrehea (not sure if that is spelled correctly but you know what I mean) and any communicable disease. We use our own judgement when it comes to a sick child. If we feel a child is passing something on to other children or us, we speak with parents and suggest that it would be best if the child stays home for a day. We fall back on the handbook that they read and signed a paper stating that they read it. We also don't allow a child back for 24 hrs if they throw up/get sick at the center and are sent home. It is hard because sometimes we think the child might receive better care and comfort when they are with us. I wish you the best of luck....just keep washing everyones hands before they eat, after they eat, in the middle of the day...all the time. I feel that is all we get done sometimes is wash hands!!
Abby

It sounds like as far as cleaning goes there's nothing else you can do. I would implement some sort of "sick child" policy.

My son Jacob is 15 months old too!

I went back to work for a while after my son was born and a friend of mine watched our son. She was a stay at home to their little girl and she made it clear that she would rather my son stay home when he was sick. She, also, returned the favor and would let me know when her daughter or herself was sick, so that I could keep Dom home and from getting it.

My suggestion is to sit down with this boy's parents and explain the problem. Tell them to keep this vicious cycle from continuing you'd prefer them to keep their son home, if he is ill. You may want to give them some examples of when to keep him home. Also, let them know that you'll give them the courtesy of letting them know when you or someone in your house is ill, so that their child wont catch what your family may be carrying.

Just remember... your family may get sick more with the addition of another child in your home. I watched a child for a year and a half and everyone in my family got sick more often in that year and a half. Keep stocked up on disinfectants and clean up regularly! I hope this helps at least a little!! Good luck!

Smiles,
E. B

Have you set "sick codes"? I know my my daughter's preschool/daycare will not allow a child to be there if the child has colored mucous or a temperature over 100...It's safer for everyone that way. Good luck!

Hi E.-
When my son first started day school last september, he got sick nearly every week. I was upset and disgusted by the idea of all those germs making supergerms at school. For the sake of the other parents, I would not send him when I knew he was too sick to go or too contagious. I would hope that the other parents took the same precaution as me. I think you should talk to the parents of the 17mo old and let them know in a nice way that they need to keep their son home when he's like that. And furthermore, if the dad was at home, why couldnt he keep his sick son at home too? 2 of my moms friends are the teachers at the day school where my son attends and they tell me it is foolproof that they will get sick if the kids are. Most recently, 5 kids had diarrhea in one day, and another day, 3 kids vomited! I also dont send my son to school when i know something like that is going around. I couldnt tell you if the facility he attends does their best, but im glad you are as clean as it can get to prevent germs. Keep up the good work and be brave!

Hi E.! I am not a childcare provider yet....but I just finished the Delaware State Orientation class for it. I don't know where you are located so I don't know whether or not you attended the same type of class. I was given a book of the Delaware Regulations for home daycares. In that it specifically talks about sick children. Perhaps if you have a similar set of regulations governing you as a FCC home, you can tell the parent that you can't take the child when he is sick because you can lose your license. That way, the "burden" is on the state for you not being able to take the child, not you. But, you should never take a sick child into a daycare setting. Please talk to those parents and tell them to make other arrangements when their child is sick.

Speaking as a parent (I have 3: 10, 8 & 2), I had one that was ALWAYS sick as a baby. She got every virus that blew through. I hired a cleaning service for my home, washed our hands until she and I both had exczema so bad that we had to wear gloves to bed and the rest of my family was miserable. Luckily I had a very understanding boss who worked with me. Every time she got healthy and went to daycare, they called me the next day to say she was sick again. My point is.....some kids just get sick ALOT! My other 2 never had that problem. But parents of children that get sick alot have to understand that the rules set by the state and childcare center are there to protect ALL the children.

If the parents of this child can't make other arrangements when their child is sick, are unwilling to make other arrangements, and/or don't understand why this is necessary, it is DEFINITELY time to let them go. Give them their 2 weeks notice. It will be more headache for you in the long run. If money is a consideration, consider this. Every day that you have to close because everyone is sick is a day you lose money. So, you really aren't making any money when this inconsiderate parent brings their sick child to you.

Best of luck! I hope it all works out for you!
T.

Hi,
My suggestion would be to tell the parents that if there child is running a fever or if the mucus is discolored then they can not bring the child to daycare. That is the normal policy at most daycares I have looked into as of late. It is totally understandable also that if your child is infectious you should keep them home.

Hi E., I'd like to give you some perspective from the family side that might help in telling the parents to keep their kids home. My first thought---is it the same kid/family all the time? If so, you might suggest to the family that they take "junior" to the pediatrician and ask about his/her immune system. my son used to get sick more than "normal" and that is how we found out he has a slight immune deficiency (so we are now very careful about exposure from other kids). Also, make it clear to her that if the trend continues, you cannot take her child any longer. That ought to be enough to motivate mom to stop. Remind her that her child will be unable to grow and develop well if s/he is constantly ill.
If none of those work, *seriously* let her know that you are concerned for her child's welfare and if the trend continues you may have to report her for neglect.

Good luck.

My vote is to tell the parents of the sick child that you cannot care for their child when he is sick. My Mother-in-law did daycare for many years and she found many instances where she was easily taken advantage of & learned the hard way to set very strict rules when it comes to parents. I agree that the best thing for a sick child is Mom or Dad & being home resting. It's not fair to you, your family, other kids in your care or the sick child for a parent to drop them off.

Good luck!!!

E.,
We had that same problem with my daughters last daycare. There was a young mother that would bring her kids to daycare sick all the time. So needless to say my baby was sick all the time too. One day she brought her kids with hand, foot & mouth decease & the whole daycare came down with it including the provider. When she called her to come get the kids she was did not answer her phone. Her youngest child (1yr) wound up with a fever so high from it that she had a seizer & was rushed to the hospital & the mother sent her sister to take care of things.

The provider finally had to give the mother her 2 weeks notice to terminate care since she had talked to her numerous time & it didn't matter. So I say talk to the family & tell them it is not exceptable for them to bring you a sick child. Do you have something in writing that you give your parents when they sign your contract stating your rules & policies. If you don't I suggest you get something written up. If you want I will fax you a copy of the "Handbook" my provider gave me as a guideline.
R.

Hi, E.

My name is L.. I am a provider, and know that you are new in this field, but the one thing you should never do is allow the parents to bring their kids in if sick. You have to type up a policy stating what symptoms children can't come to care with. Parents are still to pay their fees. This is due to safe reasons for your family, and other kids in care. I am not sure what state you live in, but licensing tells us that we have to protect ourself. If you need more advice you can email meat ____@____.com.
L. S.

oh E., you can't allow sick kids in. rules have to be clear between you and parents, if a child has a fever of 100 and higher not to bring him to you, or if you catch a child with a fever you need to call parents to pick him/her up. same thing with diahrrea, any sign of a sickness (though not runny nose or a cough).also after you have detected a child to be sick and parents come to pick him up you need to tell them they cannot bring the child back for next 24 hrs.
otherwise you'll get others sick and this will just be a neverending battle with germs and colds.
good luck
vlora

i don't mean any disrespect at all but it seems a little silly to continue to bring this into ur home. those parents of that child needs to be told that he is not allowed if he is sick and if he gets sick during the day, then they will get a call from u to come pick him/her up. any other day care they wouldn't be allowed. i assume ur home working so u can do the best by ur family but that goes out the window if they are constantly battling illness due to what is coming in the house. also, it is in respect to the other children u watch as well. if i were a parent and knew u allowed this child sick in ur house, i may be looking for another daycare. i , again, apologize for being blunt but i do believe i spoke the truth. im sure ur a wonderful mother and provider and only want what is best for everyone but top of ur list is ur family. take care and God Bless

Hi how are u doing I did find child care for my daughter 5mins. away from my home, but thank u very much for the info. But regarding the 17mo old u should let the parents know that u can no longer watch the child until u have some paper work from the Dr. informing u that this child is OK to come back to child care.As long as u have a contract with the parents u are still to get paid for the care of the child weather the child comes to care or not u are still in titled to a full week of payment unless u are informed 2weeks a head of time that the child will not be coming. Good Luck

Most daycares have specific rules that their customers must adherer to. For example, you must wait 24 hours to bring your child in if they are vomiting, runny stool, have a fever of 100 or higher, or are taking an antibiotic. Children can be kept out longer due to any type of rash that is not being effectively cared for, or for things such as chicken pox. You are not doing this to inconvenience the parent, but you are doing this because it is neccesary to maintain a healthy home not only for you, but for the other children in your care.

My kids have been in daycare awhile now, and it's a pretty hard and fast rule, that if they're sick, they are sent home. There's a 24 hour rule for fevers, and if they have even a little fever, they get sent home, and can't come back the next day. Same for diarrhea. (Including the time the daycare provider gave him pizza when he was 1 and it gave him diarrhea...) I try to keep them home if they're sick so germs don't get spread to the other kids, and I hope the other parents are doing the same. Even when they don't have a fever, the day care has called and said to come pick them up because they're not feeling well, just want to lay down, etc. I was given about a one-hour grace period from the time of the call to come and get my son.

Is it inconvenient to be called in the middle of work to come pick up the kid(s)? Sure. Is my boss excited when this happens? Not really. Do I still pay for the days they are excluded for being sick? You betcha. But, you know it's the kind of thing that happens sometimes.

After my son turned two, and the kids were pretty much the same in daycare give or take, we had sort of all gotten accustomed to each other's germs and no one was getting sick as often.

Also, I know there's a clause in my contract with my day care provider that says the relationship can be terminated by either party with 2 weeks notice. If it's causing a problem with your family, as well as the running of your business, those are the breaks. Maybe give a month or six weeks' notice to give them a chance to find another arrangement. I don't know exactly where you're located, but with the lack of infant care availability in this area, I have a feeling you'd fill that under-2 slot pretty quickly.

hi E.,
I am a mother of 3 children and i am not a child daycare provider, but there are a few things that may help you in this situation. First when ever a child is to sick to kiss his mother or the father is sick and doesn't want to keep the child home with him, then you could required that if your child is sick or have a fever they must stay at home! I know this may dampen your income but it won't dampen your families health. Also, i think when kids are ill all the time, there maybe something going on in the home that needs to be taken care of. The child that stay sick, his family may smoke, are either he isn't being fed healthy food which fights off bad germs. You are doing the right thing by using the cleaning products. Keep in mind that washing everyones hads will help eliminate the germs. I know that kids at this age touch alot of stuff but thats why we must teach them about washing their hands at the earlist age posible. Speak with the parents assurinig them that their child must stay home until he is well. If you keep continuing to allow a sick person in you space you will and your family will get sick as well. There have been a number of times that i had to take off from work because my child or children were sick, its for their own good. It doesn't pass the germ to the next kid,daycare provider, or anyone else they come in contact with. I hope this is helpful.Good Luck!

I am also a daycare provider/SAHM. You really need to have some sort of contract with your moms/dads and have a SICK policy. If the child has a fever, vomiting, diahrea (no matter the reason), cronic runny nose, cronic cough etc. then they can not bring their child to you. Normal payment still applies!!!!!!! It is for their childs safety as well as your family and they safety of the other children you care for. It isn't fair to the parents of the "well" kids that they are exposed repeatedly to these illnesses. Some parents just don't get it. WE know that when a child is sick, they should be home resting and with Mommy or Daddy!! That is part of being a parent. Unfortunatley some parents would rather have some one else care for their sick child...less work for them! You need to take charge and say that that is NOT acceptable. You can put in your policy/contract that you have the right to turn them away upon arrival if you feel the child is too sick to be there and you also have the right to send them home early. This is your home and your business, you call the shots!!! You can't provide appropriate care to ALL kids involved if you have to tend to a sick child.

Good Luck,
M.

Hi E.,
Just thought I'd offer a little advice. I've been a licensed day care provider for 7 years & have appreciated my "network" of business-owner friends when I've had issues like this. First off, you're client is taking advantage of you. (Sadly, it happens quite a bit in this profession.) If you don't have this in writing already, you need to get some strict sick policies in place. It can be in your handbook or in your contract. (The contract is nice because they need to renew it each year & therefore hopefully re-read it.) Our MD state regulations actually state that we are NOT permitted to care for sick children. (MD is pretty strict on their regs.) I state this in my policy. I would immediately type up a memo for all your clients telling them your definition of "sick"...(I list it, so it's VERY clear.) ie. Fever of 100 or greater, green or yellow discharge from the nose, rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. AND, the child must be symptom-free for at least 24 hours prior to re-introducing them to the group. On a side note, I was extremely sick the first year I began day care. My girlfriends who are teachers & pediatric nurses also told me that their first year with kids was difficult for them too. It kinda comes with the territory. Now I rarely get sick...so unfortunately your immune system may just be getting a little "shocked" by all the germs that little ones carry. I included a cute little poem that I pass out at the beginning of cold & flu season as a gentle reminder. Hope this info helps. Feel free to call me ###-###-####) if you have any other questions. I'm always happy to help a new provider.
Good luck,
A. Mayer/Busy Bee Christian Child Care

Mary had a little lamb
(She also had the flu)
And when she went to day care,
The others got it too!

So, if your child’s not feeling well
Please keep him home with you,
So that our other children can be
healthy and happy too!

Hi E., First thing I would do is set strict guidelines in place and communicate (in writing) to all parents about when sick children are allowed / not allowed to come to daycare. When my kids were small and in day care, there were many days that I had to stay home from work to care for my sick child because they were too sick to go out. And if I was sick too, well then I was looking after the little one first, me second. My cheeky side says that this is the difference between Moms and Dads! I'm sure not all Dads though. :)
C.

I have never done at home daycare but I have had friends who have. My friend that was the most successful with it treated her in home daycare as a business and incorporated several business ideas. She drew up a contract for each family that she worked for. The contract included a sick policy,gave her certain days off, and included when she was paid and how much. The parents received a copy and she kept a copy on file. Then she was firm in enforcing the contract. I think it is such a difficult job. Especially exposing your family and your home to so many children and families. Not all families have the same standard as we do when it comes to their children. My friend had several horror stories she would tell me. Parents that wouldn't pay and still drop their children off, children coming to her sick or at the last minute and parents that were never on time to pick up their children. I hope everything works out for you. Good luck.

E.,
Send the sick child home. By law, you can't keep sick children in your daycare. All of my providers and centers require any sick child to be fever and diarrhea free (without medication) for a full 24 hours before they can return to daycare. Please don't feel like you are obligated to take this child when he is sick. Next time you witness the mother stating he is sick you should speak up and let her know that if he is sick, he needs to stay home.