Home 2 Days When Sick

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

This policy has made one of my clients super angry (if a child gets ill in care they can't attend following 2 days). This HAS kept sickness rates down and people began actually keeping their kid home on a day they seemed slightly off but...if it may cause clients to leave is it time to reconsider?

It used to just be symptom free for 24 hrs but kids always returned after missing one day.

[daycare]

This policy has made one of my clients super angry (if a child gets ill in care they can't attend following 2 days). This HAS kept sickness rates down and people began actually keeping their kid home on a day they seemed slightly off but...if it may cause clients to leave is it time to reconsider?

It used to just be symptom free for 24 hrs but kids always returned after missing one day.

I have really thought about adapting to this rule as well, but I can see that my parents won't go for it.

I could see them saying, I didn't know they weren't well. AND it has happened. I had a kid here that seemed fine all day and then around 330 after nap he threw up 4 times.

I have had many cases like this that happen later in the day, but 75% of them occur later in the day.

I can't stand illness crap. just today I have a dcm call me to tell me kid has really bad diarrhea and mild fever, we will see you tomorrow. NOOOOOOOO. a full 24 hours without the aid of meds. THey are super pissed at me now.

It's a tough call.

BC does it, but she has had this policy in place for a long time. I don't know how many would take it if I just changed it out of the blue, adding it to our new policies.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

It HAS kept kids at home who I know would have been brought to school while sick becUse their parent would rather have them home one day instead of two buuuuuut...

[daycare]

It HAS kept kids at home who I know would have been brought to school while sick becUse their parent would rather have them home one day instead of two buuuuuut...

ugh.....maybe talk with BC about it. She is the master at this rule, she invented it.

I am too chicken $hit to try it......

[daycarediva]

It isn't something I could get away with and keep clients. I can barely manage to get mine to keep their sick kids home for 24 hours. I had a child throw up HERE yesterday and Dad say "I'll let him sleep in and see how he feels when he wakes up."

Um,NO.

[Cat Herder]

It works great for me.

I have never lost a client over it, if anything they like that the OTHER clients are held accountable.

I have a feeling that the clients throwing hissy fits over the illness policy are the same one's who do it for paid vacations and late fee's, too. Some people can't take a NO or any form of personal accountability, it does not matter the topic.

[nanglgrl]

I adopted this policy too and since adopting it I've only had to enforce it once, now clients keep their child home when they are sick. I go over it in detail during interviews and now I rarely (almost never) have sick kids here. I think my clients have gotten more responsible about saving their time off for when they need it. If one of the children were to get sick here, showed no signs of a dope and drop and parents were always responsible I would let them return 24 hours after symptoms were gone instead of the full 2 days it really just depends on my gut but it does help in the situations where I suspect deceit.

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

I just adopted this policy, and I think it's great! To me, it says "Don't you dare try to pull one over on me by dropping off a sick kid that you know very well needs to be home. Now we've all been exposed, AND I ended up caring for your lethargic/whiny child for part of the day, AND/OR had to clean up their vomit or diarrhea off my carpet!"

None of my parents have had a problem with it thus far, but I rarely send home unless it is so obvious they can't be here. Case in point:

I had one 21mo here just yesterday that puked after breakfast. I texted DCM and told her I would keep her posted. He was less animated, but playing, eating, no fever, and didn't throw up again. But I knew he had something going on. So of course he was sick at home last night, so he stayed home today, but DCM dropped of his sister.

This is not something new, but still irks me no end! I think I'm going to add to my sick policy that siblings must stay home, because they are full of those germs whether they have symptoms or not (I think? Common sense says they are carrying them, too? And 99% of the time they come down with it 2/3 days later...)

OP, I think if a family is going to leave over this, they are not respectable clients to begin with. There is no virus that doesn't take AT LEAST 24 hours to run its course, and 24 hours is required for recovery to no longer be contagious.

Believe me, I want to take care of their sick kid even less than they do.::

[Blackcat31]

This policy has made one of my clients super angry (if a child gets ill in care they can't attend following 2 days). This HAS kept sickness rates down and people began actually keeping their kid home on a day they seemed slightly off but...if it may cause clients to leave is it time to reconsider?

It used to just be symptom free for 24 hrs but kids always returned after missing one day.

Let's look at this from a different angle....

Was this something that was discussed AND agreed upon by the parent?

Whether AT the time of enrollment or whenever you made the change to the 24/48 hour rule?

Then WHO's issue is it?

If a parent is threatening to leave because of a policy they ALREADY agreed to ahead of time and a policy that is put in place to protect their child, as well as the others.....then it sounds to me like it may be time for them to leave.

I'll be honest, I HAVE had families pass on enrolling here based on some of the policies I have but in my eyes it was best because those families are probably the type to not value the same things I do and probably don't share the same parenting philosophies as I do so it simply weeded them out sooner rather than later.

The parents I have now, will RAVE about my illness policies because even when others are shut down completely due to stomach bugs or HFM etc....I am not. I have very few incidences of illness and when we do have one, we nip it in the bud immediately to stop any additional spread.

I truly and honestly believe the 24/48 hour rule has solved ALOT of issues and there is no way I would eve consider not having that rule because I've seen first hand over the last 2 years how well it works.

[Blackcat31]

ugh.....maybe talk with BC about it. She is the master at this rule, she invented it.
I am too chicken $hit to try it......

LOL! Wrong cat though....

Cat Herder is the master behind the 24/48 hour rule. lovethis

It works great for me.

I have never lost a client over it, if anything they like that the OTHER clients are held accountable.
I have a feeling that the clients throwing hissy fits over the illness policy are the same one's who do it for paid vacations and late fee's, too. Some people can't take a NO or any form of personal accountability, it does not matter the topic.

THIS (bolded) ^^^^

CH has used the policy much longer than I have.

She is proof that it DOES work.

She also brings up a good point about those parents that throw hissy fits....

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Despite the parent taking off the next two days anyways they were very upset because their lethargic, 101.8 fever, stomach hurting child was running around their house after a couple of hours (child was picked up at 5:45pm).
Complaints that we closed for ice days (we are in the south) despite other daycare centers, preschools, and the district also closing were said because they can't always get off work. We closed 4 days total from Dec. to last week and most days parents did not have to go to work. In fact, I believe it was only one. We did refund for those days in Dec. Complaints about my new morning drop off policy were said (yes, BlackCat same parent...).
I replied and stated in it that we never close for sick days or mental health days and a little consideration would go a long ways because 55 hour weeks are hard work. The situation seemed diffused but who really knows.

Like someone said...they are all nice until they do not get their way.

[Cradle2crayons]

This policy has made one of my clients super angry (if a child gets ill in care they can't attend following 2 days). This HAS kept sickness rates down and people began actually keeping their kid home on a day they seemed slightly off but...if it may cause clients to leave is it time to reconsider?

It used to just be symptom free for 24 hrs but kids always returned after missing one day.

I have the 24/48 policy as well.

HOWEVER... Mine says out 48 hours if the child is sent here sick.

In my opinion a child even I thought was perfectly fine all day until 330 pm wasn't sent here sick... So in that case they are sent home and can return 24 hours after all symptoms are gone.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I have the 24/48 policy as well.

HOWEVER... Mine says out 48 hours if the child is sent here sick.

In my opinion a child even I thought was perfectly fine all day until 330 pm wasn't sent here sick... So in that case they are sent home and can return 24 hours after all symptoms are gone.

Hmm but those medicated kids who have symptoms appear 4 or so hours after arriving...how do you prove that they were sent sick? Especially when a parent says they did not medicate.

[Blackcat31]

Hmm but those medicated kids who have symptoms appear 4 or so hours after arriving...how do you prove that they were sent sick? Especially when a parent says they did not medicate.

Because it is a rare instance that a child "suddenly" gets sick 4 hours after drop off.

Usually they have symptoms leading up to it....kwim?

YOU know your DCK, it isn't hard to tell who is going to get sick.

If a parent makes the choice to keep their child home, I only require a 14 hour exclusion...because most times the child IS better after resting at home for that day.

If they are sent home from care, you and I both know that the parent KNEW before sending them that they probably should have stayed home. If I send them home, they stay home for 48 hours. Because now it not only affected their household but mine too.

Those 24/48 hours are without the use of any OTC meds and symptom free.

I have a sheet that says WHY a child is sent home and when the parent can send back. If its really bad, I include the doctor's form as well.

Here is the "Sent home" form I use:

[Cradle2crayons]

Hmm but those medicated kids who have symptoms appear 4 or so hours after arriving...how do you prove that they were sent sick? Especially when a parent says they did not medicate.

Well, as a pediatric RN since 1997 I just KNOW... There are signs.... I can tell a. Child is medicated for one.... Symptoms start coming slowly back about 3.5 hours after they arrive.... I can look in their eyes and tell they've been medicated.

Fevers are usually the number one thing they suddenly get 3.5hours later...

But as we all know, vomiting can just arrive without warning....

If a child shows up here at 8:00 am and are perfectly fine all day long without showing any symptoms whatsoever and then vomit at 3:30....

Well if they seemed fine to ME all day, I can totally see where a parent wouldn't know they were sick after waking them at 7:30 am and dropping them off thirty minutes later at my house.

Especially if they have eaten all meals and snacks and have been fine etc.