Illness Policy/Dope and Drop

[butterfly]

I know this has been covered many, many times but I'm having a difficult time finding the previous threads... would you care to share your illness policy? Mine apparently needs an over haul. I specifically want to clarify dope and drop is not going to happen any longer and that I will not be feeding your child OTC meds for every sniffle/cough.

I'd also like to state that if you are too sick to work, and have a child with the same symptoms they are probably feeling as miserable as you - don't you think they should also stay home? - ok so I won't say that, but I'd love to after this week!!

I would like to no longer administer meds - at all - but I have a couple kids with "asthma" who "need" nebs. What are your policies on meds?

I feel like I'm running a clinic this week and I'm exhausted and feeling taken advantage of. Help please. Thank you!

[Blackcat31]

My illness policy can be found here: https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59301 Post #12

[MarinaVanessa]

Here's mine (I don't administer medication at daycare, ever):

Part of my Illness Policy
..... Keep your children home if they exhibit any of the listed symptoms. Children must be excluded for 24 hours after the symptoms of the illness have subsided without the aid of medication. Do not confuse this with the onset of symptoms, meaning the 24 hours begin after the child’s symptoms disappear. If a child is sent home sick, a minimum of 48 hours exclusion will be required.

Medication
The childcare provider will not administer any type of medication at daycare. This includes prescription and non-prescription medication. If a child needs medication of any kind a dosage schedule must be set up that does not include the hours that the child is in care. Clients are required to notify the childcare provider any time that their child is on any type of medication so that we can look out for possible reactions to the medication.

Keep in mind that fever reducers and pain relievers do not cure illnesses, they simply mask symptoms. If a child is given any form of fever reducer or pain reliever then this means that the child is not well enough to attend daycare and is required to be kept home for a minimum of 24 hours from the time that the last dosage was given.

Do not send a sick child to daycare by giving a fever/pain reducer to mask the symptom. The effects of the medication will eventually wear off (usually between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. if given in the morning) and it will be apparent to the childcare provider that the child was given medication. In the day care field this is commonly known as the "dope and drop". Giving a child fever/pain reducer before daycare are immediate grounds for termination.

Topical products such as lotion, diaper rash ointment, sunscreen, children’s toothpaste, etc. are the only exception but require written consent. Topical products must be provided by the client in unopened and original containers and labeled with the child’s name and must remain at the daycare at all times.

[butterfly]

Thank you blackcat and MarinaVanessa. Thank you so much for sharing. I'm going to get to work on this today!

MarinaVanessa - do you ever have any chronic illness clients - like asthma - that require regular meds? Do you allow the parents to come administer meds? Or not allow any meds at all on site?

I think my biggest obstacle in changing policy will be my asthma kids.

Thank you for your help!