Illness Policy
Ill children typically recover faster if they rest and receive personal care at home.
Keeping ill children at home promotes a more healthful environment for all the
children. The staff will follow the same exclusion criteria as children and will
not come to work or will leave when signs of illness develop.
Children and staff with the following symptoms will be excluded:
Fever
of at least 99° F under arm (auxiliary) or 100° F orally
AND
who also
have one of the following:
o
Vomiting
o
Diarrhea
o
Headache
o
Earache
o
Sore throat
o
Rash
o
Fatigue that prevents participation in regular activities
o
Unusually fussy or inconsolable
Oral temperatures, done with single-use disposable covers over the
thermometer, can be taken on preschool through school-age children;
temperatures will be taken under the arm (auxiliary) for all others; no rectal or
ear temperatures will be taken.
Vomiting
on one or more occasions within the past 24 hours
Diarrhea:
three or more watery stools, or one bloody stool, within a 24-hour
period
Pinkeye
Any suspected communicable skin infection
such as impetigo and/or
scabies
Open or oozing sores
, unless properly covered and 24 hours have passed
since starting antibiotic treatment, if treatment is necessary.
Croupy, very congested, or persistent cough
Any of the childhood diseases
Mites, lice, or pinworms
If a child exhibits any of the above symptoms, parents will be contacted and asked to
take their child home immediately. Sick children will be separated in a playpen or in
the office to reduce exposure to other children. If your child gets sick at the Center
and has slept on his or her cot or bedding, the Center will wash it.
We will notify parents in writing when their children have been exposed to infectious
diseases or lice. The notification may consist of either a letter to parents or posting a
notification for parents in a visible location.
