Policies
Management of Communicable Diseases
Mary Had a Little Lamb
She also Had the Flu
And When She Left Her Child Care
Everyone Else Had It Too
So Anytime Your Child is Sick
Please Keep Her (Or Him) Home with You
Then All the Children at Our Child Care
Will Be Happier and Healthier Too!
* * * * * * * * * *
To avoid the spread of germs and disease, we ask all families to attend to the following:
Respiratory Etiquette
- Avoid close contact with healthy people if you are sick and avoid close contact with sick people if you are well. YOUR CHILD'S EXPOSURE TO FLU, VOMITING, AND UPPER RESPIRATORY ILLNESS WHILE VISITING A FRIEND OR RELATIVE MUST BE REPORTED TO SUE ROWE OR ASSISTANT PROVIDER.
- If you sneeze or cough, cover your mouth and nose. The CDC now recommends that we teach children to cough in the inner elbow of the sleeve to avoid contaminating children's hands which would touch surfaces and spread germs.
- Keep sick children home from child care. CHILDREN MUST REMAIN HOME 24 HOURS AFTER THE CESSATION OF SYMPTOMS, i.e., fever, vomiting, fatigue, irritability.
- Avoid touching T-zone with hands. Teach children to avoid touching T-zone, i.e., eyes, nose and mouth where germs enter our bodies.
Hand Hygiene
Everyone - children, parents, family members, providers - must wash hands:
- before feedings and meals
- after wiping or blowing a nose (maybe your own)
- after outdoor play
- after contact with animals
- at arrival to the child care home
- upon arrival to your own home
- before and after giving medications
- after handling garbage
- after toileting or diaper changing
Illness
Children who have ANY of the following symptoms and/or illnesses MUST NOT be brought to the Child Care home:
- fever
- sore throat
- diarrhea/vomiting
- seizures
- listlessness, excessive fatigue, fussiness or irritability
- contagious condition or rash including but not limited to: impetigo, chicken pox, measles, pink eye, strep throat, meningitis, head or body lice, etc.
Children may return to child care 24 hours after the cessation of symptoms.
Children with bacterial infections such as strep throat and impetigo may return to child care after taking prescribed antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
Children with head or body lice must be free of both insects and nits in order to return to child care.
If a child develops any of the above symptoms and/or illnesses during the child care day, the child will be removed to our kitchen play area away from other children, parents will be contacted. Parents must pickup the ill child in a timely fashion.
Communicable diseases must be reported to Department of Public Health and all enrolled families. When it is determined that a person, child, parent, provider or child care assistant has a reportable communicable disease such as German measles, infectious hepatitis, measles, mumps, or meningitis, the local public health officer, DHS and all families of all enrolled children will be notified. A child, provider or child care assistant may be readmitted to the child care home with a written statement from a physician.
Children and families must be fully immunized. Young babies must be in the process of receiving their schedule of immunizations. Families and young children must be immunized against
Administering Prescriptive and Non-prescriptive Medications
Prescriptive and non-prescriptive medications will be given upon written permission by parent. Parent must provide written instructions as to time and dosage for both prescriptive and non-prescriptive medications. Permission slips to administer medication are available to parents in the entryway and must be completed when children are dropped off for child care.