The usual story - Parents not understanding what constitues a ill child

[AgentTink]

I have a had a few months of children coming to me very obviously ill, or they have been dosed up so much that by the time 1030 comes and the effects of calpol had worn off the child is a mess.

I have also had the usual story of we have taken them to GP and it is ONLY virual infection so they will be back tomorrow and then I go through a whole weeks worth of having to call parents each day to collect as child is no better. I do not give any calpol in my setting.

So it is that time of year where i need to do a annual review of my policies and i have just been working on my sickness one. could you guys let me know if this is too over the top what I have wrote for one section of it



In order to protect everyone in my care I have decided to detail some common illnesses to help understand what is classed as a well child and what is classed as a unwell child.

1. Any child that is persistently coughing and/or sneezing, and is at an age where they are unable to cover their mouths, will not be able to attend. I have a duty of care to other children and to myself and in this situation I would not be able to stop the spread of infection.
2. Any child that has a fever of 37.5, as per NHS Direct weblink below, will not be able to attend. If they get a fever during their time with me you will be called to collect immediately.http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/feverchildren/Pages/Introduction.aspx
3. Any child that has had diarrhoea, vomiting or stomach upset in the previous 48 hours at home will be excluded as per the Department of Health guidelines. It does not matter to the reason why they may have any of the above, they will still be excluded for 48 hours. They may only return when they have had 48 hours of no diarrhoea or sickness over a whole 48 period. Upon returning to my setting I will ask you to complete a form detailing the time and date of the last period diarrhoea or sickness.
4. Any child who vomits once or has two loose nappies will have to be collected immediately, and will not be allowed back into the setting until they have had a whole 48 hours without any further incidents of either vomiting or diarrhoea. Upon returning to my setting I will ask you to complete a form detailing the time and date of the last period diarrhoea or sickness.
5. No child should be sent to the setting if they are unwell, particularly if it has been necessary to give them any medication such as calpol before the session. This is just masking any syptoms the child may have, however it will not stop the spread of infection.
6. If a child is seen by a GP and is given anti-biotics then they will be excluded for the setting for a minimum of 24 hours, however this could be longer depending on what illness your child has. I will follow advice given by the Department of Health in regards to exclusion periods. No child should return to the setting until they are well again.
7. If a child is seen by a GP and is diagnosed with a viral infection and is not given anti-biotics, this does not mean that your child is well enough to attend my setting. The same guidelines as above will take effect that your child should not return to the setting until they are fit and well. A viral infection is just as contagious as a bacterial infection, however the only reason you not given anti-biotics is because they are unable to kill virus’s. Most GP’s will advise anyone with a viral infection to drink plenty of fluids, rest and take pain relief to keep symptoms down.

I retain the right to exclude any child from my setting who I do not believe to be well.

[mollywendy]

hi i think that is great.mine come with the sick bug i tell them it is 48hrs. i dont think they read half the stuff we give them .

[angeldelight]

Brilliant nice and blunt and to the point but not nasty

Hope they take it on board

Good for you too for sticking to your guns

I cant count how many sick children I have had this year alone .... but of course they were ok at home

Angel xx

[nikki thomson]

i tell you what makes me chuckle the most is when parents come to drop of lo and then say 'i'm taking the day off today i have a cold!!!!!, yet they send there children when there clearly not well. i appreciate how difficult it is for parents with demanding jobs but maybe its just me i am very maternal but when you see them sometimes and there really not well and there shoving them through the door i feel so sorry for them, all they want is there mummys and to be at home tucked up with a blankie, bless them. x

[Nicadooby]

I'm bumping this as I need to toughen up

[Taz74]

This is awesome AgentTink! Had I had a policy like this in place, I don't think all of mine would have come down with the Norovirus. Both my kids and my husband ended up getting it too and to top it off, I have been closed nearly all week.

I really like the part of where a child who is unable to cover their own noses/mouths (words to that effect) must not attend the setting. This is exactly how it got spread in my case.

Thank you for wording it so diplomatically, I can't see any parent arguing with this.

[smurfette]

This is awesome AgentTink! Had I had a policy like this in place, I don't think all of mine would have come down with the Norovirus. Both my kids and my husband ended up getting it too and to top it off, I have been closed nearly all week. I really like the part of where a child who is unable to cover their own noses/mouths (words to that effect) must not attend the setting. This is exactly how it got spread in my case. Thank you for wording it so diplomatically, I can't see any parent arguing with this.

I think we have to be really careful here., we claim to provide a home from home setting and I am not sure we can exclude because kids have a cough or cold or have had calpol., sure you can but you probably won't have any business left!

The vomiting virus is contagious before symptoms appear so very hard to contain, but I don't know what happened in your case., parents bringing children who have vomited within the last 24 hours or lied to you is a different thing

I sympathise Cos this has happened to me and I have been down a lot of money which we rely upon to pay bills.
I try to be sympathetic as parents have to work and will Lose their jobs if they keep taking time off when kids are sick so I try to hold on to them if at all possible.. I generally go by as above, if they are well enough to join in normal activities but if under the weather will have a quieter day if needs be... Then I feel that parents know I don't call them to collect or refuse care for every little thing and they take me seriously if I do.. Hope that helps

[Taz74]

I had a parent who failed to tell me his 2 older sons and his sister (who lives with him) had been sick the night before. I was not happy to say the least when mine came down with it the next night and he told me that his youngest, who I mind, had been sick once he had left my setting (in the car) after I called to say I had to close.

I have been thinking about enforcing a stricter policy with regards to sickness. I have been thinking about it since posting my last comment and now reading what you have said, I think you are right in saying it is unrealistic to ask a parent to keep their child at home if they are coughing/sneezing and are unable to cover mouths. My youngest is 3 and can cover his nose/mouth but then that doesn't stop him from spreading it from his hand to other surfaces.

Perhaps my policy should clearly state if anyone in the child's home setting who has been sick/diarrhea in the past 48hrs, they should inform me and then I make an informed decision as to whether I will have that child or not. I just don't want to go through all of last week again, ever! (I can live in hope)

[smurfette]

I had a parent who failed to tell me his 2 older sons and his sister (who lives with him) had been sick the night before. I was not happy to say the least when mine came down with it the next night and he told me that his youngest, who I mind, had been sick once he had left my setting (in the car) after I called to say I had to close. I have been thinking about enforcing a stricter policy with regards to sickness. I have been thinking about it since posting my last comment and now reading what you have said, I think you are right in saying it is unrealistic to ask a parent to keep their child at home if they are coughing/sneezing and are unable to cover mouths. My youngest is 3 and can cover his nose/mouth but then that doesn't stop him from spreading it from his hand to other surfaces. Perhaps my policy should clearly state if anyone in the child's home setting who has been sick/diarrhea in the past 48hrs, they should inform me and then I make an informed decision as to whether I will have that child or not. I just don't want to go through all of last week again, ever! (I can live in hope)

Unfortunately we can't exclude because someone else has been sick and the Lo
Might come down with it., wish we could cos I have been caught like that before too!