Your views please.....

[Lear]

.......I've just had a call from one of the parent's of my 21month old mindee who should be at my setting tomorrow morning. He has been sick all evening through to early hours of this morning. The parent wanted to know if he'll be OK to come tomorrow. I reminded them that my sickness policy states that I ask that mindees not to come to my setting until 48 hours after any sickness, etc - which means that they should not be back until Tuesday. The parent feels this is very unfair as most other places she knows of state 24 hours.

What with Christmas around the corner I really thought she'd be more understanding!

What do your policies state? Am I being over cautious?

[Penny1959]

No you are not being over cautious.

Do you have a local guidelines booket (or info on LA website)

As far as I know it is 48 hours everywhere - so anyone with a 24 hr exclsion for D+V is not following the guidelines.

Stick to YOUR policy - it is what it is there for - and if you can - show the parents to official LA guidelines (It is for this reason that I have a copy of the recommended exclusions in my parent pack)


Penny :)

[aly]

actually some schools now do a 24 hour so it's not that they are going against guidleines but within their policiy.

mine is 48 hours...explain to her that it is there for a reasxon and would she be happy with you taking in an ill child only for her to catch it?....I doubt she would say yes.!!

stick to your guns.

[Toothfairy]

Mine is 48hrs.
Stick to your guns, you don't want to be ill all over xmas!

[Pipsqueak]

Remember to tell them its 48hrs FROM the LAST bout of d&/orV, so at this rate it would be Tuesday at the earliest providing there have been no subsequent episodes.

I would tell them that sickness can spread like wildfire in a small setting and if you and yours go down poorly, that means several families including theirs are left without childcare and you loose valuable income and it could be a week plus before you get your own family/self up and running.

[Penny1959]

actually some schools now do a 24 hour so it's not that they are going against guidleines but within their policiy.

Is that a recent thing?

I have checked Worcestershire 2011 guidelines and it still says until free of it for 48 hours.

I can see that in areas where schools or other settings only have a 24 hr exclusion period it is going to make it morre difficult to explain why you require 48hrs notice.

Also if not standard in all areas and across all settings it will lead to confusion amongst parents / childcarers and indeed inspectors

OP - have you checked you areas policy / guidelines?

Penny :)

[Lear]

Yes, I have checked and my area's guidelines are rather unclear as there is no mention of sickness. It states as follows 'If a child suffers from diarrhoea they must be kept at home and not brought back into nursery or school until 48 hours after their symptoms have disappeared'.

I'm going to stick to my guns, the last present I want for Christmas is a sickness bug and I'm sure my other families (I have two other mindees at my setting tomorrow) will agree with me!

[Lear]

...............just checked with my Mum (who works in a school) and her policy is 24 hours after sickness and 48 hours after diarrhea

[Pipsqueak]

...............just checked with my Mum (who works in a school) and her policy is 24 hours after sickness and 48 hours after diarrhea

the HPA guidelines are just that - guidelines and settings - schools, minders etc can interpret them as they wish - ie there is no exclusion period for conjunctivitus - however in my exprience it is highly contagious and spreads like wildfire...., however sons' primary school DON'T exclude but others son's secondary school DO exclude - so who is right?

therefore as an independent business I CHOOSE to exclude for it the same as i choose to enforce a 48 hr symptom free exclusion period for the safety and well being of myself, my family, other children in my care and their families and for visitors to my home.

[The Juggler]

our schools have 24 for hours for one bout of sickness or diorrhea, but if more than one time , then 48 hours from last bout.

I in a minding setting would stick to 48 hours regardless of what anyone else does. i have no desire to be sick at any time and not be able to work especially not at xmas. stick to your guns xxx

[kellib]

Our school is 48 hours as well.

Another school here has just had to close for 3 days as over 100 kids came down with a sickness bug, they decided it was better to close and give the school a deep clean than have children coming back in before they were fully recovered!

[miffy]

If you made mum aware of your policies from the outset then she has no reason to complain now.

Stick to your exclusion period - neither you nor your family want a bug for Christmas.

Miffy xx

[Mouse]

...............just checked with my Mum (who works in a school) and her policy is 24 hours after sickness and 48 hours after diarrhea

Our school is the same, although I didn't realise until recently. I'd kept DD off for 2 days as she'd been sick, only to get into trouble because I should only have kept her off for 24hrs :rolleyes:

If it's in your policy though, stick to 48hrs.

[Lear]

If you made mum aware of your policies from the outset then she has no reason to complain now.Stick to your exclusion period - neither you nor your family want a bug for Christmas.

Miffy xx


Oh yes, she was made aware and even signed to say she read and agreed with policy.

[EmmaReed84]

Sorry but it does not matter if the parent thinks you are unfair or not, it is YOUR policy and she should be well aware of this. Stick to your policy, you will be so mega peeved if you dont and you end up ill...

[rosebud]

48 hours here too and schools are the same.

[waterwaybabies]

we do this job because we love kids [hopefully?].
in this case you need to protect your family first and foremost [also a sick child should be at home with a familiar carer]
may sound harsh but thats how im seeing it hun.xxx