The Head Lice Story Part Two ... please read and give in put (long sorry)

[familyschoolcare]

... see some parents just do not like the answer .... for part 1

at pick up last night I informed DCD that over the weekend it came to my attendtion that the day care was exposed to head lice. A very intresting conversation followed.

Then ..

When I checked my E-mail this morning I got the following from DCD. As a matter of background this DCK is from a spilt home and the DCD almost never

talks to the DCM. DCM just confirmed with my last night that I will be picking DCB up today.


Dear Mrs. ******,


Thank you for informing us about Head Lice reported by one of your 'kids' at your facility over the weekend. As a precautionary measure to minimize risk

of exposure for DCB, I have decided to find an alternative means for care for him. Please consider the payment made today to be for the week upon

his return to your services rather than for next week, as it was initially written out to be.

Regards,

DCD and DCD's partner

So I have written the following E-mail in response.

Jason,

You are more than welcome to keep DCB home from Day Care. Before, you make that final decision I think you should keep the following things in mind.

1. If DCB was exposed to head lice it was last week before I was aware of the situation. There is no guarantee that this child was here at the same time and day as DCB or that the two of them interacted in a manner that would result in DCB getting infected. Now that I am aware of the situation it is under control at my house. We have seen no signs of the lice being at my house.

2. I have "dealt" with this before, both from a teacher aspect and a parents aspect and I am fully aware of what can and should be done to prevent the spread of this. The last time (before the day care was open) this came into my house it did not spread past the first "victim".

3. All of the children that come into and my house attend a public school and that is most likely where it is coming from.

4. As per your contract you must pay me regardless of the reason that Gavin does not attend. See quote below.

"This is a guaranteed rate, with no credit for non-attendance regardless of reason. Payments are due on Fridays for the following week."

5. If you break the contract by not paying me then our contract is no longer in effect. Which means I will not hold DCB's spot in my Day care and upon your return you would need to sign a new contract which could be subject to this years higher rates.

Please let me know what you final decision is.

Do you think my response is harsh?

[JenNJ]

... see some parents just do not like the answer .... for part 1

at pick up last night I informed DCD that over the weekend it came to my attendtion that the day care was exposed to head lice. A very intresting conversation followed.

Then ..

When I checked my E-mail this morning I got the following from DCD. As a matter of background this DCK is from a spilt home and the DCD almost never

talks to the DCM. DCM just confirmed with my last night that I will be picking DCB up today.


Dear Mrs. ******,


Thank you for informing us about Head Lice reported by one of your 'kids' at your facility over the weekend. As a precautionary measure to minimize risk

of exposure for Gavin, I have decided to find an alternative means for care for him. Please consider the payment made today to be for the week upon

his return to your services rather than for next week, as it was initially written out to be.

Regards,

DCD and DCD's partner

So I have written the following E-mail in response.

Jason,

You are more than welcome to keep Gavin home from Day Care. Before, you make that final decision I think you should keep the following things in mind.

1. If Gavin was exposed to head lice it was last week before I was aware of the situation. There is no guarantee that this child was here at the same time and day as Gavin or that the two of them interacted in a manner that would result in Gavin getting infected. Now that I am aware of the situation it is under control at my house. We have seen no signs of the lice being at my house.

2. I have "dealt" with this before, both from a teacher aspect and a parents aspect and I am fully aware of what can and should be done to prevent the spread of this. The last time (before the day care was open) this came into my house it did not spread past the first "victim".

3. All of the children that come into and my house attend a public school and that is most likely where it is coming from.

4. As per your contract you must pay me regardless of the reason that Gavin does not attend. See quote below.

"This is a guaranteed rate, with no credit for non-attendance regardless of reason. Payments are due on Fridays for the following week."

5. If you break the contract by not paying me then our contract is no longer in effect. Which means I will not hold Gavin's spot in my Day care and upon your return you would need to sign a new contract which could be subject to this years higher rates.

Please let me know what you final decision is.

Do you think my response is harsh?

Nope. It was a factual response with no emotion. Perfect for the situation.

[DaisyMamma]

Looks good to me. I would've done almost the same, however, I would consider breaking the contract grounds for termination and no option for return.

[Willow]

Lice IS highly contagious. Whether you've got a grip on it or not doesn't change that fact.


I don't think it's fair to force a parent to pay if they choose to keep their child home out of fear of threat of a communicable parasite -or- force them to go to your home and continue to subject that child to the risk.

Neither would be an acceptable option for me.

I realize it came from your child's school, is not your fault, and you're doing all you can but this isn't the parents fault either and you're essentially punishing them either way they decide for a situation they didn't create or have anything to do with.

[littlemissmuffet]

I don't think it's fair to force a parent to pay if they choose to keep their child home out of fear of threat of a communicable parasite -or- force them to go to your home and continue to subject that child to the risk.

In my daycare, it doesn't matter why your child isn't here - you are paying me to hold their space. It isn't a matter of forcing a parent to do anything - it's a matter of parents who don't read/understand their contracts before signing them or thinking they are the exception to the rule for some reason

[Willow]

To those that think that sort of response is perfectly acceptable, do you always require payment if parents choose not to expose their kids to something communicable literally right there in your daycares?

If a kid comes in with rotovirus you send them home right? Why? Because they can infect others.

If they're vomiting you send them home right? Why? Because they can infect others.

Influenza?

TB?

Ringworm?

Coxsackie?

Chicken Pox?

If the child in question cannot be quarantined from the rest of the group because it's literally the providers child and the affliction inside the home what else is a parent to do?

Do you seriously say tough beans? Bring your kid or pay up anyway even though you have to pay someone else for alternative care to keep your own child disease/illness/parasite free?

To me this isn't about money, or policy, it's purely about ethics. It would be RIDICULOUSLY unethical to stick parents in that position.



DaisyMamma - you'd put in an option to terminate THEM?? I cannot tell you how floored I was to read that....just...straight unbelievably shocked and literally horrified. As a parent ***I*** would absolutely terminate contract if that was the rock and a hard place a provider presented and attitude they had.

Seriously. Just wow....

[familyschoolcare]

Lice IS highly contagious. Whether you've got a grip on it or not doesn't change that fact.


I don't think it's fair to force a parent to pay if they choose to keep their child home out of fear of threat of a communicable parasite -or- force them to go to your home and continue to subject that child to the risk.

Neither would be an acceptable option for me.

I realize it came from your child's school, is not your fault, and you're doing all you can but this isn't the parents fault either and you're essentially punishing them either way they decide for a situation they didn't create or have anything to do with.

Intresting input

FYI here the middles schools do nothing about a head lice exposure untill they see a "pattern" or atleast %10 of the school is infeasted. Also, in acordance with santa clara health department guidlines they do not send children home, they simply inform parents at the end of the day.

You in put does give a different side of the story. I just do not see how keeping a child home from day care will help. Given that said child will stil come to day care 1/2 of the week and still attend school.

[Willow]

In my daycare, it doesn't matter why your child isn't here - you are paying me to hold their space. It isn't a matter of forcing a parent to do anything - it's a matter of parents who don't read/understand their contracts before signing them or thinking they are the exception to the rule for some reason

Even when their space isn't available due to a COMMUNICABLE PARASITE???

[familyschoolcare]

To those that think that sort of response is perfectly acceptable, do you always require payment if parents choose not to expose their kids to something communicable literally right there in your daycares?

If a kid comes in with rotovirus you send them home right? Why? Because they can infect others.

If they're vomiting you send them home right? Why? Because they can infect others.

Influenza?

TB?

Ringworm?

Coxsackie?

Chicken Pox?

If the child in question cannot be quarantined from the rest of the group because it's literally the providers child and the affliction inside the home what else is a parent to do?

Do you seriously say tough beans? Bring your kid or pay up anyway even though you have to pay someone else for alternative care to keep your own child disease/illness/parasite free?

To me this isn't about money, or policy, it's purely about ethics. It would be RIDICULOUSLY unethical to stick parents in that position.



DaisyMamma - you'd put in an option to terminate THEM?? I cannot tell you how floored I was to read that....just...straight unbelievably shocked and literally horrified. As a parent ***I*** would absolutely terminate contract if that was the rock and a hard place a provider presented and attitude they had.

Seriously. Just wow....

The difference here is the things you listed place a health risk to people that get it and lice does not. Which is why as per the santa clara county health department guidlines the schools here do not send children home for this they simply inform then at the end of the day.

[Willow]

Intresting input

FYI here the middles schools do nothing about a head lice exposure untill they see a "pattern" or atleast %10 of the school is infeasted. Also, in acordance with santa clara health department guidlines they do not send children home, they simply inform parents at the end of the day.

You in put does give a different side of the story. I just do not see how keeping a child home from day care will help. Given that said child will stil come to day care 1/2 of the week and still attend school.

I'm glad you're staying open minded.


Schools here (both where we lived before and where we live now) notify parents immediately both with an automated phone call AND with notes sent home from school if a single child is found to have it in the class room.

School nurse does daily checks of every child in that particular classroom until it's cleared as well as a single sweep of the entire school to identify if it's spread. Kids are sent home immediately if even so much as a single nit is found for a minimum of 48 hours and there has to be proof of treatment before they're allowed back.


It doesn't gross me out, and I get that it happens. 1st grade year school nurse sent my daughter home because of two measly nits and she was required to stay home for the required two days. It didn't bother me in the least if it meant keeping her from exposing it to other kids. I told my daycare parents and let them decide what they felt comfortable with. I'd NEVER force them to bring their kids into my home knowing what was going on or force them to pay (potentially losing their spot in my daycare if they decided to be cautious).


The word here is COMMUNICABLE. No different than if you said "Sure! Daycare kid who has Influenza A can attend, all other parents better bring their kids to play in his same space or pay up if they'd prefer to keep their child away until the threat passes."

There is no such universe in which that would ever make a stitch of sense to me.

[MN Day Mom]

Even when their space isn't available due to a COMMUNICABLE PARASITE???

The space IS AVAILABLE. The parent is choosing not to use the space. It is only lice, it does not create or cause a health risk, just an annoyance.

[Willow]

The difference here is the things you listed place a health risk to people that get it and lice does not. Which is why as per the santa clara county health department guidlines the schools here do not send children home for this they simply inform then at the end of the day.

Yikes.

I would not be ok with my kids' school system handling lice that way. No wonder your daughter has suffered from it multiple times. Poor kiddo

I would not be ok with having to completely deep clean/quarantine every soft surface of my home just because the school choose to take a lackadaisical attitude toward it. In fact, I'd probably be pretty ticked off! Especially having my daycare, that's a whole lot of cleaning to do!


Doesn't it make you mad you have to keep doing all that???

[Blackcat31]

Even when their space isn't available due to a COMMUNICABLE PARASITE???

I read the situation to mean the space IS available but the parent is choosing to stay home. There is a case of lice but the children have NOT been exposed directly to it. The provider is simply informing the parent that there has been a case. Not that their child HAS come into contact with it.

The parent is choosing to keep the child home even though his space is aviablable, NOT being forced to pay when there is no space to pay for.

I have extensive experience and training in lice and it's removal due to a previous place of employment and lice is contagious when a person comes into direct contact with items, people and places where there are live nits, eggs and bugs. (Contrary to popular belief, lice do NOT jump or fly.) Others aren't going to get it if the provider performs the required activites to eradicate the nits, eggs and bugs and is diligent in checking everyone upon admittance into care.

http://headlicecenter.com/

[Unregistered]

I'm glad you're staying open minded.


Schools here (both where we lived before and where we live now) notify parents immediately both with an automated phone call AND with notes sent home from school if a single child is found to have it in the class room.

School nurse does daily checks of every child in that particular classroom until it's cleared as well as a single sweep of the entire school to identify if it's spread. Kids are sent home immediately if even so much as a single nit is found for a minimum of 48 hours and there has to be proof of treatment before they're allowed back.


It doesn't gross me out, and I get that it happens. 1st grade year school nurse sent my daughter home because of two measly nits and she was required to stay home for the required two days. It didn't bother me in the least if it meant keeping her from exposing it to other kids. I told my daycare parents and let them decide what they felt comfortable with. I'd NEVER force them to bring their kids into my home knowing what was going on or force them to pay (potentially losing their spot in my daycare if they decided to be cautious).


The word here is COMMUNICABLE. No different than if you said "Sure! Daycare kid who has Influenza A can attend, all other parents better bring their kids to play in his same space or pay up if they'd prefer to keep their child away until the threat passes."

There is no such universe in which that would ever make a stitch of sense to me.

Lice is not the same as the flu. Lice are a public health neucsance not a health issue...unless you are allergic to them.

I'd charge for the space too.

Kids get lice....it ****s but it happens. DCD is not going to do
well when his little one hits school with that heavy handed over reaction.

[Willow]

The space IS AVAILABLE. The parent is choosing not to use the space. It is only lice, it does not create or cause a health risk, just an annoyance.

Not a health risk? Just an annoyance?

Because they don't bite and cause infection...or spread like wildfire.....


You wouldn't believe how bad lice can get until you saw the shaved completely ulcerated and infected head of a toddler....multiple times.