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Okay, so my policy says parents will be called if a child throws up & it also says that you must be free from illness for 24 hours before you may return. I just called a parent b/c the child puked. Seems "okay" now but he could throw up again & I don't want to deal with it. Parent was not thrilled but is coming to pick up. What should I say about returning. It happened about 9:20 am. They typically drop off around 7:30 am which wouldn't quite be 24 hrs. But I do want to make sure the child is not still sick when he returns. Do you think it would be okay to say he can not come until 9:30 tomorrow if he is well at home? I just don't want to tick the mom off but still I don't want my own kids getting sick.
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Well, in my case, the 24 hour rule is not so much for the parent's convenience, but for the safety of the others. It is basically saying, puke today, stay home tomorrow. If you bend and someone gets sick, it's your own fault. -
I'd say noon tomorrow....or just stay home until Thursday
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My contract says 24 hours also but i dont count it in actual hours from when they 'got sick' at my house, its there to keep the kid home the next day to protect me, my family and the other kids so if she says something id tell her that he cant return until thursday unless of course he throws up on wed then add another day at home.Comment
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Thanks! I think I will tell her he can return Thurs at normal drop-off so long as he is not sick in the interim. She should be here soon. Must continue with my disinfecting!
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I remember in another illness thread there was some discussion about the 24-hour return poilicy for sickness. Someone (can't remember who) had a GREAT suggestion. Instead of having a 24 hour policy just have your policy state that the child cannot return to care the next day. This ensures that they will be out at least the entire next day. I changed my policy immediately after I read that!
I make my evaluations on a case by case basis but I don't necessarily call the parent if a child throws up one time but has no other symptoms. I have more than one child in care with a "sensitive stomach" and most of my throw up incidents have been related to foods that the child didn't like or want. However, if something is going around, or if they look tired or lethargic, or are sneezing, coughing, etc. then yes, I am calling parent immediately.Comment
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Yuck, yuck, yuck! I hate throw up! I had my own incident last Friday and had to close. I send a child home for the rest of that day and all of the next like a pp said. I also send them home if they are symptom free except for the throw up unless I know for sure that it was a fluke. I'm sorry your morning started off this way.Comment
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Well over the yrs. of doing daycare, I can remember I allowed the child to return the next day and sure enough the same thing happened the next day. The parents all said to me, they didn't vomit at all once they got home!!! Then it was really foolish for the parents to do that once again, had to call them at 9:00 to come pick up their child again, then I made sure they didn't come back the next day. I love it!!!! I made a change in my contract as well, cannot return the next day at all. This saves all of us!!!Comment
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My policy has a 24 hr exclusion after throwing up - no fever etc. Here in MN its part of the state exclusion guidelines, which I copy and hand out when contracts are signed, and is referenced in my policies/contract packet. Here it is part of the daycare RULE that we exclude after throwing up, for the protection of all.Comment
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It's a very rare parent who will tell you the child has thrown up in their care IF they have the possibility of coming the next day.
You will hear many reasons for why a kid would throw up ONCE and only at your house... they gagged on snot going down their throats.. they ate something that soured their stomach, they ate too much, etc. etc. Very rarely will you get that the child actually has a stomach flu.
If the parent has a pretty good idea that the kid won't make it over to your house without puking in the car then you have a really good chance that they will come even if they have thrown up many times the day before. Many parents believe a good amount of time without throwing up is just overnight. They have nothing to really loose if they TRY it at your house the next day. The worst case scenario is that they will have to come and get the kid. That's a better case scenario than having to stay home all day and pay for day care for that day. If they think the kid will puke all over their car then they will not come.
Not all parents.. but many many many... base their decision on what will be the easiest thing for them. Cleaning up puke in the car is NOT easy and it's impossible to hide that from the receiving provider.
I try very hard to exclude for something like this as close to nap as possible because they usually won't bring the kid over the next day just to have them go down for a nap. They are trying to avoid being home with them in the morning. Even if you have a rule that they can't come the next day .. if they pick up earlier in the morning and want to return the child the next day you can end up in a lot of conflict with them over the next day. They will contact you in the evening and tell you the kid has been up and running around perfectly fine all day and has eaten like a pig. The next morning they will call and tell you he is perfectly fine and they don't want to keep him home ANOTHER day. It had to be something he ate... him swallowing something down the wrong pipe... ANYTHING that is NOT contagious.
You can have the "no next day no matter what" rule but you will find that it will not eliminate all the conflict with the next days exclusion.Comment
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I agree with the previous posters. I would just say see you Thursday if no vomitting on Wednesday. It is very sad that we cannot trust parents to tell us the truth about a childs illness because they have to work, which i understand.Comment
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I had such a problem with sick kids coming to daycare I actually changed my policy this year- and actually stated it rather rudely, too. It states:
Do not bring your children if they have anything likely to be contagious, as outlined in the state exclusions. If you disregard this, you may be held responsible for lost wages and other expenses such as lice cleaning, carpet shampooing of vomit/diarrhea, etc., medical. If my family gets sick I am required to close so no one else has care. AFTER MANY YEARS OF HABITUAL ABUSE AND LACK OF COMMON SENSE, I NOW STILL CHARGE IF I AM CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS, so think twice about bringing sick children here. DO NOT TRY TO GUILT ME INTO WORKING WHEN I AM SICK OR ACCEPTING SICK CHILDREN. If you have more than 1 child, both should stay home, as those without symptoms yet may still be contagious or carrying germs.Comment
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Thanks everyone for your replies. To conclude this story, DC child went home early on Tues (mom was here within one hour, bravo mom!!!). He will come back tomorrow as far as I know. The part that ticks me off about the scenario is the drama that unfolded on Tues afternoon. I also watch her school-age son before & after school. When she came to pick up the sick child she told me to call her when the older child got off the bus & "I will come get him right away". She only lives about 1 1/2 miles from our house. So that afternoon the boys (my boys & SAC) were off the bus at about 3:30 pm. I call the mom & leave a message that they are home. She calls back & BIG mistake my DH picks up the phone. She tells him that her son is still asleep, is it okay if she picks up "in a little bit"? He says, fine. I don;t have a problem with it so long as she is ON TIME & I don't think it should be a problem b/c she is right down the road. The clock creeps on & eventually it is 5:15 & pick-up is to be by 5:00 at the latest. She comes in & I say, Wow, DS must have taken a LONG nap, huh?!?!" I'm trying to hint at her lateness. She gives me all kinds of excuses. Now I would not mind if she had just came at 5:00, I really did not care if she picked up the school-ager early.or not. But don't tell me you will do so & then NOT do it. And then to be late?!? I think in the back of her head she thinks I must "owe" her since the younger one went home sick. I'm just annoyed!
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i am responsible parent. when my little one was sick i make sure she stays home..but i am annoyed when daycare's providing food and the child vomits one time and the parents get a call saying pick and not coming back for 24 hrs. The child had no other sympotm, no fever, speaking, walking and running and not vomited at home. Alot of the day cares are nasty and rip offs. They don't even feed the child after sometime to see if the child vomits a second time and when the child gets home started screaming for food and eats with out any issues. I am 100% agreeing if the child is sick send home and stay away for 24 to 48 hrs or as long as gets a clearance from the pediatrician. but children will throw up once in a while because of food or over feeding etc. make good judgments. Parents are paying you a lot of money not to sit at home. they need to work to pay the day care.Comment
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