PDA

View Full Version : Accepting sick children



purpletrunks
22-12-2012, 04:08 PM
Hi,

I am new to childminding (started sept) and new to this forum. I have joined todaya s I really need some advice with my current mindee. He is 14 months and since starting has been ill alot, probably at least every 3 weeks. Mostly just colds etc, but on two occasions his temperature spiked above 100, he had two febrile convulsions and he was taken (by parents) to hospital but not admitted. The diagnosis was just viruses.

Because he is ill so much the parents are struggling with the amount of time they are having off work. The past two times he has been ill they have tried to put him in with me, when I have felt he has been too ill to come. My EY consultant has said that he should not return until he is fully well, but I wonder if this doesn't provide enough flexibility. For example he has had a cough for two weeks but been well in himself in-between.

So this week he came in and mum said he had had a temp in the night, but that they had taken it before they left to come over and it was normal. 15 mins after she left it was 39.7. I couldn't get hold of parents for an hour so just went through the specific instructions they gave me to avoid a convulsion. When I finally got dad he asked that I keep him for another hour to see how the calpol worked. When mum got back to me 20 mins later she insisted that they came straight away. He was still ill the following day but late that evening (10pm) I had a text saying that he had played well all day but was still grizzly and still taking calpol to keep his temperature down but they wanted to bring him the following day for a shortened day, and was that ok with me?

I replied that he was very welcome to come if the temperature/ cough had gone and that why didn't she keep him at home until midmorning and then if he was well enough he could come (mum was off work that day). I pointed out that if he was still ill he needed more rest that I could give him, and that I couldn't take him to our music class christmas party contagious.

My response obviously annoyed them, they feel that a high temp is just his way of dealing with a any slight virus and doesn't indicate he was that ill. My argument is that we don't know what he has and a temp, even if he is prone to them, signifies an infection and makes him feel unwell. Things are ok but in the new year I wanted to give them some clear guidelines on what symptons mean he can come or not. My policy just says that I can not take a child who has a contagious illness or whose sickness compormises the care I give to others.

What guidelines do you suggest? When is a child well enough to come?

It is important to me that my service is flexible and that I can meet the boys needs - he is ill so often he is loosing out on loads of experiences with us. I worry that they think I am trying to keep him out so I get a day off.

Sorry for the long rambling post,
TIA

Bananabrain
22-12-2012, 05:03 PM
I have exactly the same problem [except my mindee is 3 and a half] She is ill all the time [tonsilitis/ear infections, it just goes on and on]
I have five other mindees and I know that her illnessess are impacting on everyone else, including my own family. [Can't and wouldn't say that to mum though]
Last week I wrote 'to all parents' that they simply had to appreciate that a house full of sick children is not good for anyone. I explained that I know there is a recession on and people worried about their jobs, but I cannot let sick children affect everyone else. It's just not fair.
I am doing everything I possibly can to minimise risk of infection including being completely obsessive about cleaning [especially the loo!]
A couple of my parents weren't too happy. I think they were expecting me to just say 'oh, go on then, bring your poorly children here':laughing:But I stuck to my guns.
I am dreading Jan/Feb. I have managed to get to Christmas without any major illness here and would like to keep it that way as I am the only wage earner.
I haven't got an answer for you i'm afraid, but I really sympathise.

karensmart4
22-12-2012, 05:40 PM
My personal guidelines are: If a child is not feeling able to participate in activities/outings are fretful/lethargic then the best place for them is at home. It is too busy here for a child that is unwell, they wont recover as quickly as they would given peace and quiet.

We had a child on Thurs that just wasn't her 'normal' self, Dad said she was up at 5am so I put it down to her being tired, after a nap she was offered her lunch and didn't eat anything (not like her), she then became very clingy and just wanted cuddles. I had to put her down to see to another child and she just got so upset poor thing.

An hour later she threw up all over the playroom floor.

I text Mum (school teacher) and she said, Dad would collect in 15-20mins.

He arrived and started talking about her often doing this and then is fine then he said, "see you in the morning"... he didn't like it when I said no. he started going on about some of us have to work :panic: what am I supposed to do, put her in a cupboard!!! Then went muttering out of the door saying, "Well there goes your Christmas present from us" !!!!!

Sorry, just went off on one :blush:

Zoomie
22-12-2012, 05:56 PM
Children have to be well enough to participate in our daily routine. If not, then they need to stay at home.

Any issues fof V&D and they have to stay away for 48 hours from last occurrence. I also shut completely when anyone in my house goes down with this.

If my children are unwell, ie bad night, had temperature (ie not the automatic closure of above) but I feel they can cope with the other children then I tell parents in the morning that my child is unwell but I am open and we are having a quiet day. However if my child deteriorates during the day, I tell them I may need to close the setting. I did have to do this once when my DD had chickenpox, she was fine on the 2nd day and 3rd day in the morning, but by the afternoon she was mad with the itching and I closed half way thorugh the afternoon. She was better on the 4th day, but I stayed close as a precaution.

With your mindee, you need to be clear to the parents that if mindee if well enough to participate, then it will be fine for him to attend, but if they need cuddles / regular calpol etc then they need to be at home.

blue bear
22-12-2012, 05:59 PM
Op if mum was off work why does she want to send a poorly child out in the cold?
I don't give callow, if mum wants to give before they arrive and chikd is fine that's ok but if they need a top up to get through the day they need to go home. Having had a mindee had febrile convulsions in my care I'm not willing to take the risk, I've other chikdren to care for to and I'm not a nurse and caring for sick children is not something I'm willing to do it compromises the care of the other children.

migimoo
22-12-2012, 09:19 PM
He arrived and started talking about her often doing this and then is fine then he said, "see you in the morning"... he didn't like it when I said no. he started going on about some of us have to work :panic: what am I supposed to do, put her in a cupboard!!! Then went muttering out of the door saying, "Well there goes your Christmas present from us" !!!!!

Sorry, just went off on one :blush:

My God that's awful...I would be absolutely fuming if I were you-who the heck does he think he is saying that....grrrr...some people!

I've been in the position where a mum tried to drop off 4 hours after LO had stopped vomiting and she practically hung up on me when I told her NO though....my ears were burning after:blush:

mum24
23-12-2012, 10:13 AM
|I can understand your dilema.

Some children seen to be constantly under the weather, coughs, runny noses temperatures etc. I have had 3 children with chronic asthma, and one with febriel convulsions, these conditions are manageable, but I make clear that the decision on whether a child is well enough to come is mine, and also depends upon the other children attending and any planned activities we have that day.
I have found that talking through a few scenarios as above, my parents have been very understanding, though they may not be very happy, and we have managed to make a workable compromise. I do though insist that if lo becomes ill while in my care then they do need to leave work as soon as I call or have an emergency person to come quickly to me.
I explain that I have other children too and that I couldn't guarantee to give their lo the extra attention needed, and cannot either compromise the care and safety of other children here. After all if it were another child that was ill, they would not one theirs to be affected.
Take a few minutes to think through what you can do and what you are not happy to do, and then in a calm and reasonable manner put forward your thoughts. If you explain that you are trying to be as flexible as possible, but meet everyones needs, then most people do appreciate this and will try to work with you.

ondherb
23-12-2012, 12:53 PM
hi I new on here too i was hoping to read other replies but i guess you have not long posted it

i am always sent ill children they calpol them send them and say nothing its then very obvious the children are ill

its a constant battle i dont understand why as they also still get paid when they are ill

sending ill children then sends that virus round the others

its very clear on our guidelines sick and diarrhea is 48hrs absence from any setting

the only way to be totally clear is ring parents to pick up immediately you have a high reading of temperature/sick/diarrhea as the responsibility is too high for practioners to burden

a nursery wouldn't have any of it

i look forward to what others have to say !

bunyip
27-12-2012, 05:56 PM
I am running a CM setting, not a private hospital. Children should not be here if they need medicating; if they can't participate in the usual routine; if they need their parents' love and cuddles; if they are likely to pass on illnesses to any other person here, me and my family included.

Any parent who lacks the backbone to stand up to their boss when their children need them is welcome to send them to a private hospital for care instead.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but there are times when i think parents should have considered their priorities before having children. Putting their career before their children and expecting a CM to carry the inevitable consequences for that decision is just irresponsible. :angry:

TAZ
27-12-2012, 07:58 PM
I let parents know that I follow the same guidelines for illness as schools and give them a copy of that document HPA - Guidance on Infection Control in Schools and other Child Care Settings (http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1203496946639)

I've told parents that I'm happy to have their children even with a cold / cough & temperature being kept down with meds (which I can administer) as long as they are not feeling miserable with it. One child may have a high temp and yet feel ok while another may not have much of a temp & yet feel awful. Parents have all been ok with this.

Luckily I've rarely been in a position of a child being ill & having to contact the parent. I did have to last week, I then gave paracetemol and we went on the school run after which he was feeling better & was ok till home time, 2 days later when I was due to have him again it was the parents who chose to keep him home as he was unwell.