Enforcing Sick Policy

[mamamanda]

How do you enforce your sick policies? It took me 3.5 hours to get someone to pick up dcg today. Contacted dcm 2 hrs before, but fever was 100.2 & my policy states 100.4 to exclude. So technically mom knew for 5 hours. Poor dcg kept asking, "Why isn't my mom here yet?" How is this issue worded in your contract?

[Thriftylady]

From my handbook:

Failure to come an get an ill child within an hour will result in a call to family and child services for abuse/neglect.

[LysesKids]

Here's my paragraph...

If your child develops any of the above symptoms while in my care, you or your alternate will be required to pick up your child immediately. If the child is not picked up within one hour of my first call to you, an additional $10 charge for every 15 minute (or portion thereof) will be assessed for ill childcare. Failure to pick up within 2 hours will mean a call to Child welfare and possible termination of care.

I put this in place the end of my first year because I had a mother absolutely refuse to get a child that was in desperate need of help due to an injury I had not been told about - mom worked 5 minutes away at the hospital the kid ended up at... mom ended up with neglect charges being filed on her and she fled the state (she was a nurse)

[Thriftylady]

Here's my paragraph...

If your child develops any of the above symptoms while in my care, you or your alternate will be required to pick up your child immediately. If the child is not picked up within one hour of my first call to you, an additional $10 charge for every 15 minute (or portion thereof) will be assessed for ill childcare. Failure to pick up within 2 hours will mean a call to Child welfare and possible termination of care.

I put this in place the end of my first year because I had a mother absolutely refuse to get a child that was in desperate need of help due to an injury I had not been told about - mom worked 5 minutes away at the hospital the kid ended up at... mom ended up with neglect charges being filed on her and she fled the state (she was a nurse)

I wrote mine like it is because back when I was in KS I called a mom at 10 AM and she said "ah poor little guy see you at five".

[elise]

wow, what are those horror storys. If my kid was sick, i would be so worried, i would try to get to my baby as soon as possible. Thank god i never had to deal with such a situation

[Unregistered]

I thought what happened to me was bad. I used to work at a center. The mom worked in another state. She did come when we called her. It took her three hours. I had to go to the ER and fill out the paperwork. They refused to work on the child until the mother could and sign paperwork.

[AuntTami]

I thought what happened to me was bad. I used to work at a center. The mom worked in another state. She did come when we called her. It took her three hours. I had to go to the ER and fill out the paperwork. They refused to work on the child until the mother could and sign paperwork.

I had a child fall and split her lip open a while ago. Called for pick up, no answer. I ended up sitting in the ER with a bleeding, rambunctious 2 year old for 4 1/2 hours waiting for someone to come get her. They wouldn't work on her until a parent arrived. He finally came at the end of his shift, after her and I spent the day in the ER waiting room.

My policy now states you have 30
Minutes to pick up. If you aren't there in 30 minutes or you cannot pick up within that time, I go down the emergency contact list until someone can come pick up the child immediately. If no one can be found, parents will be notified that no one can come get them and if they still can't/wont come, CPS will be notified.

Never again will I sit in the ER with someone else's child. I didn't realize it at the time but it wasn't a *true* emergency but to the person holding the bleeding, screaming toddler that isn't your own child, it sure seems like an emergency! But never again.

[Blackcat31]

My policies state that when a parent is called/e-mailed about their sick child, they have 15 minutes to reply to the call/e-mail with instructions about who is coming for the child.

The child needs to be picked up within 30 minutes or I will call CPS.

Solves those issues of parents refusing to pick up or dragging their feet in doing so.

I also have a rule that if a child is sent home from care ill, they must remain out for 48 hours after symptoms reside rather than the standard 24 had they just kept them home in the first place.

Having and enforcing these policies has had a MAJOR impact on the health of my DCKs and although we get a cold/cough or ear infection now and then, we have very little health issues compared to a lot of places.

[nanglgrl]

My policies state that when a parent is called/e-mailed about their sick child, they have 15 minutes to reply to the call/e-mail with instructions about who is coming for the child.

The child needs to be picked up within 30 minutes or I will call CPS.

Solves those issues of parents refusing to pick up or dragging their feet in doing so.

I also have a rule that if a child is sent home from care ill, they must remain out for 48 hours after symptoms reside rather than the standard 24 had they just kept them home in the first place.

Having and enforcing these policies has had a MAJOR impact on the health of my DCKs and although we get a cold/cough or ear infection now and then, we have very little health issues compared to a lot of places.

Yes! These are the perfect policies to avoid sick kids at daycare!

[Annalee]

How do you enforce your sick policies? It took me 3.5 hours to get someone to pick up dcg today. Contacted dcm 2 hrs before, but fever was 100.2 & my policy states 100.4 to exclude. So technically mom knew for 5 hours. Poor dcg kept asking, "Why isn't my mom here yet?" How is this issue worded in your contract?

My parents have 30 minutes to arrive after I call them....then late charges apply....$10 first minute, $1 a minute thereafter......so they come right on!

[AmyKidsCo]

If I can't reach parents I call their emergency contact. I don't have fees in this instance, but have never had a problem with it.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

My policy is that they have 15 minutes to respond and 30 minutes to pick up at that point. I strongly emphasize at interview that failure to respond and pick up will result in termination. No second chances and as soon as they get their kid, they get all their belongings and a termination letter handed to them at the door. I do not mess around with this issue after I had a vomiting & diahrea baby for hours after I tried contacting parents. Never again I said!

[Unregistered]

Has anyone had to call cps on a parent??

[Thriftylady]

Has anyone had to call cps on a parent??

I haven't but should have once way back when. I was much younger and more naive at the time. If I had it to do over again it would have happened. Really I think it is rare though.

[Blackcat31]

Has anyone had to call cps on a parent??

yep.