Medical Privacy?

[EchoMom]

What right do I have to know a child's medical diagnosis? I have a new infant that just started and has a skin condition. I am very sure I can guess what it is, since I know the skin condition the sibling has, who I've been caring for since I opened. It's not a big deal assuming it's the same as what the sibling has. But if it's something different that I think it might look like, it would be a big deal to me... and a deal breaker.

I plan to ask the parent, and I expect she'll tell me the truth and say it's just the same condition the sibling has. But what if she's lying and it's something more serious and different that I think it could be...

Do I have a right to ask for a doctor's note saying exactly what it is?

If it is something more serious I would choose to terminate care.

[itlw8]

You have no rights. A child may have AIDS and the parents do not have to inform anyone. That is why we use universal precautions for diaper changes and blood.

All you can do is research online I can not think of any chronic skin conditions that you could catch except leprosy but really I doubt that would be the case.

Most cases the parents will share what it is and any treatment plan that needs to be followed in your care.

[Willow]

HIPPA laws don't apply to daycare providers. You can ask, if parents want to lie or not tell you though that's their business and you have a right to respond however you feel is appropriate.

I make it clear that I won't take families who aren't open to sharing pertinent medical history and who aren't willing to work with me to help keep their child healthy if/when something pops up. If I find out later on down the road that they hid something that endangered the child it's grounds for immediate termination. If I can see plain as day something is physically/mentally wrong and either the parents don't want to discuss it or choose to ignore it completely that too is grounds for immediate termination.

If there is something medically wrong with any child their fulltime care provider *needs* to know about it - what it is, if it's contagious, what if anything they can do to help the child, danger signs to watch for, parent approved formulated plan of action if something regarding the medical condition hits the fan. There is no way I'd risk a child's life or the lives of the other children in my care just because a parent wants to be tight lipped. Working together is essential.

Parents don't want to want me having the full picture when their child is in my home 9 hours a day 5 days a week then they can hit the bricks and find someone else to lie to or keep secrets from.

[MamaBearCanada]

If you feel you can't ask then exclude for an unidentified rash. Readmit only with a doctor's note saying the rash is not contagious.

Here's a link about the ADA and daycares

http://www.ada.gov/childq%26a.htm

[Willow]

If you feel you can't ask then exclude for an unidentified rash. Readmit only with a doctor's note saying the rash is not contagious.

Here's a link about the ADA and daycares

http://www.ada.gov/childq%26a.htm

Excellent information!

I think this section in particular applies here:

8. Q: What about children whose presence is dangerous to others? Do we have to take them, too?

A: No. Children who pose a direct threat -- a substantial risk of serious harm to the health and safety of others -- do not have to be admitted into a program. The determination that a child poses a direct threat may not be based on generalizations or stereotypes about the effects of a particular disability; it must be based on an individualized assessment that considers the particular activity and the actual abilities and disabilities of the individual.

In order to find out whether a child has a medical condition that poses a significant health threat to others, child care providers may ask all applicants whether a child has any diseases that are communicable through the types of incidental contact expected to occur in child care settings. Providers may also inquire about specific conditions, such as active infectious tuberculosis, that in fact pose a direct threat.


There is no way to know if a particular rash is eczema or scabies as we aren't doctors so asking about it and/or requiring a doc visit/treatment is perfectly legal and at times essential to maintaining the health of a day care group.

[Willow]

All you can do is research online I can not think of any cronic skin conditions that you could catch except leprosy but really I doubt that would be the case.

There are LOADS of skin conditions that are contagious! Measles, chicken pox, herpes, ringworm, impetigo, athletes foot, candida, thrush, warts etc. etc. etc.

My mom was a dermatology nurse for the better part of two decades. Dinner time talk was always a combination of educational and revolting