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20m old DCB came in this morning. DCM says woke up grumpy with clear snot/runny nose. Hes developed a frequent cough throughout the day and is now open mouth coughing everywhere, sneezing big snot globs all over the place and drooling like crazy. I know its part of the job but its freaking me out right now. It says in my handbook "snot (any color but clear), coughing. .." but he is acting fine other than grossing me the heck out. I sent DCM saying he is coughing and sneezing pretty bad and she said thanks for update, poor kid. Is this not something I should send home for? Getting the feeling she doesnt think of it like I am.
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It's not part of my job.
If a child has ANY symptoms that create issues with the care and supervision I am able to give the others, that child needs to stay home.
It may be a common cold but the fact that he is unable to contain his cough (covering his mouth) or his snot (wiping and blowing his own nose) then I would exclude them from care.
Based on the symptoms you stated it would fall under my exclusions. My illness/exclusion policy says: "Any time that an ill child doesn’t feel well enough to participate comfortably in activities it can require more care than the childcare provider is able to provide without compromising the health & safety of the other children" -
I was curious about the same thing. However my dck are 10-17 months. The first one came with clear drainage and within days, they all had it! Now the 10 month dcg is draining constantly, snot bubbles, coughing (obviously open mouth; she's a baby!) and sneezing. It IS gross, even though I love them! I disinfect toys constantly anyway, along with washing my hands, but there was no way with that age group that it wasn't going to spread...
Would you send her home? Parents always say "it's allergies" or "it's teething". Hmmmm.... and what do you say to THAT?
"Be careful what you teach. It might interfere with what they are learning."
-Magda GerberComment
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I require a doctor's note for allergies, and I let it be known that it is my belief that teething may cause irritability but other symptoms are an illness the child caught while teething (which---they have a hole in their gum not yet filled by a tooth and are putting everything in their mouths of course they are more susceptible to illness while teething). The only thing I will acknowledge is due to teething is loose diapers (because they are swallowing extra drool), but even then, if it is more than two a day they need to be at home.
That being said, I had one preschooler last week with a nasty cough that his parents "hadn't noticed in the morning" who spiked a fever at 3:30 and was sent home, and today I have an unexpected day off because all the rest of the children have it this week, so something nasty is going around right now.Comment
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Parents can SAY whatever they want. I require PROOF
Diagnosed illnesses and conditions written down by a doctor NOT a parent.
I don't exclude for illnesses only symptoms so if a child has a bad runny nose or diarrhea due to teething () they'd still be excluded so the parents can use those "excuses" freely as it doesn't work here. 
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I was curious about the same thing. However my dck are 10-17 months. The first one came with clear drainage and within days, they all had it! Now the 10 month dcg is draining constantly, snot bubbles, coughing (obviously open mouth; she's a baby!) and sneezing. It IS gross, even though I love them! I disinfect toys constantly anyway, along with washing my hands, but there was no way with that age group that it wasn't going to spread...
Would you send her home? Parents always say "it's allergies" or "it's teething". Hmmmm.... and what do you say to THAT?
As for the excuses, I say " it very well may be, however, as stated in my sick policy, I exclude based on symptoms not diagnosis. I can't tell you how many times kids have caught "teething" or "allergies" when I didn't err on the side of caution. Hopefully we'll see you tomorrow!"
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Good point Black Cat and finsup. I will have to "fine tune" my policy handbook about symptoms and not illness/diagnosis, and make parents aware. There had been no one sick for months; almost a year! until this one came with runny, goopy nose, and then everyone got. it.
"Be careful what you teach. It might interfere with what they are learning."
-Magda GerberComment
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"teething" is THE most contagious illness ever.....Good point Black Cat and finsup. I will have to "fine tune" my policy handbook about symptoms and not illness/diagnosis, and make parents aware. There had been no one sick for months; almost a year! until this one came with runny, goopy nose, and then everyone got. it.
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