Urgent help chicken pox

[smurfette]

Hi guys

Mindee who is here tues wed and thurs has
Come out with chicken pox today... Do I need to warn my Monday mindees mum.. She is pregnant. They are never here together so have had no contact?!

[blue bear]

It can scarred I clothes and items so I'd let her know but the chances are very minimal of cross infection.

[bunyip]

I would certainly warn a pregnant woman, in fact any who could possibly be at risk.

I cover myself in my policy thus:-

I will inform the parents of other children at my setting if a child I care for has a diagnosed infectious disease. I will therefore require parents to inform me of any diagnosis given by a doctor or other medical professional. Whilst I will not name the child, it may be possible for other parents to speculate or deduce the identity of the child in these circumstances, so I cannot guarantee confidentiality but will be as sensitive as possible with such information.

[smurfette]

Just realised one of my mindees is here Monday to Thursday .. Monday with the one whose mum is pregnant and tues to thurs with the little one who has it now. He hasn't had it so is no doubt cooking it. If she keeps him away I should refund right ?

[Mouse]

Just realised one of my mindees is here Monday to Thursday .. Monday with the one whose mum is pregnant and tues to thurs with the little one who has it now. He hasn't had it so is no doubt cooking it. If she keeps him away I should refund right ?

What does your contract say about charging for absence?

One of my mindees has come down with chicken pox this weekend. I have sent a text to all parents - even the ones who aren't here the same day and even the ones who have already had it - simply saying that one of the children in the setting has chicken pox. If any of them decide to keep their children away I will charge as normal as I will be open as normal.

[smurfette]

What does your contract say about charging for absence? One of my mindees has come down with chicken pox this weekend. I have sent a text to all parents - even the ones who aren't here the same day and even the ones who have already had it - simply saying that one of the children in the setting has chicken pox. If any of them decide to keep their children away I will charge as normal as I will be open as normal.

It says I exclude for five days or Til spots are scabbed over and also I charge for children's sickness

[Maza]

I would definitely let the mum know - you have done nothing wrong and I think parents appreciate it when you tell them things like that.

Re payment, it is a tricky one. My DD was off school last week with virus/temp. I informed all of my parents that I could still have their children as she hadn't actually been sick, but if they preferred to keep their LOs at home (I knew a couple were going away and so didn't want them to be ill for their holiday) then I wouldn't charge. The main reason I did this was because I wouldn't really want to care for their children if they had a temperature etc and so I didn't want to seem like I had double standards. Thankfully they all sent them in - I'm not getting paid for the next two weeks as I'm on holiday but I couldn't afford not to be paid for three weeks! If you haven't got a sick child on your premises then there is no need for other children to be kept away.

[lisbet]

I do the same as Bunyip and Mouse.

I also have this in my Illness Policy:

Pregnant mothers and people who have health conditions that weaken their immune system may be at higher risk from infectious illnesses including chickenpox, measles, rubella and parvovirus b19 (slapped cheek). I will inform the parents of the other children in my setting if a child that I care for has a diagnosed infectious disease that has a recommended exclusion period, or one that may pose a risk to pregnant women and people who have health conditions that weaken their immune system. I will exclude children or close the setting as necessary according to Public Health England guidelines. If parents would prefer their child to not attend in order to further minimise the risk of them contracting the illness, fees for contracted hours will still be due.

The pregnant mum could have a blood test to check if she is immune to chickenpox. Hope it all works out ok xx

[blue bear]

If it says you charge then for the one who has chicken pox you charge as normal.
For the one whose mum is pregnant isf she decides to keep him off just in case you charge.

The difference would be if it was your own child who had chicken pox, in that case I'd close and not charge

[smurfette]

Thanks all

It's mums fourth baby so I am guessing that she may have been tested before and more than likely exposed.. I sent a text but no reply so assuming he is coming tomorrow!

Mindees mum who has it has sent a text now saying she is doubting she has it as only one blister and four possible spots (this after I sent text saying see you next week so. Will drop kids Easter eggs to you later in week)!! This despite dad apparently came out with it today and older sis just getting over it!! She apparently breastfed mindee today so reckons that might have magicked it away ( mindee is three and not been breastfed since younger sibling arrived !)

Hope I haven't done wrong thing now telling everyone! Mindee whose mum is pregnant has prepaid so will be easier to not refund than try to get paid .. We have an epidemic of it here at mo and older sibs are one in school and one in playschool so as someone said they could pick it up anywhere . That said I am glad I warned her!

[smurfette]

Pregnant mum has decided to keep little one off, pretty sure she has had it but off to see the grandparents later in week and doesn't want to risk giving shingles. So guessing it's her choice to keep him off (was still saying she would send him if she has had it a few mins ago then remembered the grandparents) so haven't offered a refund, is that ok? She pays two months at a time so not due to pay again until end April, and only needs to pay me three more days as he is leaving then so won't fall out with her if she queries it

[hectors house]

Pregnant mum has decided to keep little one off, pretty sure she has had it but off to see the grandparents later in week and doesn't want to risk giving shingles. So guessing it's her choice to keep him off (was still saying she would send him if she has had it a few mins ago then remembered the grandparents) so haven't offered a refund, is that ok? She pays two months at a time so not due to pay again until end April, and only needs to pay me three more days as he is leaving then so won't fall out with her if she queries it

You can't catch shingles from being with someone with chicken pox - it's the other way round. After you have chicken pox the virus stays in your body and if can reappear as shingles mostly when people are older or have weakened immune system - people with shingles can infect someone with the chicken pox virus if they haven't already had it.

[Mouse]

Pregnant mum has decided to keep little one off, pretty sure she has had it but off to see the grandparents later in week and doesn't want to risk giving shingles. So guessing it's her choice to keep him off (was still saying she would send him if she has had it a few mins ago then remembered the grandparents) so haven't offered a refund, is that ok? She pays two months at a time so not due to pay again until end April, and only needs to pay me three more days as he is leaving then so won't fall out with her if she queries it

As Hectors House says, you cannot give shingles to someone. It's not a valid reason to keep the child off, so I wouldn't even consider a refund.

2 of my own children had chicken pox when I was pregnant. The midwife sent me for a blood test, but wasn't overly concerned as I'd had chicken pox as a child. She said the only real risk came if I caught it around the time I was due to give birth.

There's some quite useful advice here

What are the risks of chickenpox during pregnancy? - Health questions - NHS Choices

[Jiorjiina]

I have just had a mindee who had chicken pox a couple of weeks ago.

I did alert the other parents of my mindees, because they both have babies under 1 at the moment. Poor ill mindee didn't come back for over a week, until all the blisters had scabbed over (fortunately his mum is a teacher, so she knows the rules!)