Playgroup I am so cross

**mrsbumbles** · 09-12-2008, 11:43 AM

Playgroup have just called me to ask me to pick up a child with a sickness bug

When i got there i asked them if they had phoned the parents first.

They said they thought it was my it responsibility to collect the child as i dropped the child off this am and was due to pick her up at lunch time

I told them that i was responsible for the child when she is well and not when she was sent home ill

They then got really quite stroppy with me when i told them, that i was going home to call the parent because i didnt was the bug spread round the other children.

They then said "well it doesnt state on our forms that parents are responsible for a sick child not the childminder"

I am fuming how am i supposed to take a sick child backwards and forward on the school run, when playgroup are not even prepared to keep the child there till the end of the session

Have the playgroup got no common sense at all

**jaz** · 09-12-2008, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by mrsbumbles

Have the playgroup got no common sense at all

It would seem not!!!

J
x

**DudleyChildmind** · 09-12-2008, 12:18 PM

The same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago so I phoned the parent while I was still at the nursery. I took the child home but I didn't have anymore children until I went on the school run later. The parent was here within 15 minutes of me calling her. I asked the nursery if they had phoned the parents first and they said no

**miffy** · 09-12-2008, 01:10 PM

Sounds like playgroup just wanted rid of the child!

Hope you've managed to contact the parents to collect

Miffy xx

**wendywu** · 09-12-2008, 01:21 PM

When you answered the phone and they asked you to collect the child because they were sick, you should have told them then that you cannot collect a child who has been sick. Not your problem get them to phone the parents.

**mrsbumbles** · 09-12-2008, 01:28 PM

The child has only just gone

Dad had to travel to get here so not their fault but if the playgroup had phoned the parents instead of me first the child would have been picked up at least half an hour earlier

I dont really like taking on the care of a sick mindee, but if the parent cannot be contacted then i will look after them untill i can get someone to collect.

But for playgroup not to ring the childs parents first is bang out of order imho

**christine e** · 09-12-2008, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by wendywu

When you answered the phone and they asked you to collect the child because they were sick, you should have told them then that you cannot collect a child who has been sick. Not your problem get them to phone the parents.

I agree. If school ever ring me to say is child is feeling sick or has been sick I ask them to contact parents and leave it at that, if I collect and then they are sick in the car it leaves me with a mega problem of not being able to look after any child whilst I mess around cleaning inside of car not to mention the cross infection.
Cx

**manjay** · 09-12-2008, 01:55 PM

You would really think they should know better, wouldn't you?

I arrived for a school pick up a few weeks ago to be presented with a child and a carrier bag of soiled clothes

They then went on to say that as it happened so close to home time they thought they would wait until I collected the child. Have to say they weren't very impressed when I said I couldn't take the child, but if he was in the mess that they told me he was then it would have taken them a good while to clean him up. Plenty of time for them to call parents. The next day I am stood outside with a CM friend and they ask if she wouldn't mind taking home a bag of sick covered clothes for one of her mindees who had been sent home earlier in the day

**Andrea08** · 09-12-2008, 02:18 PM

Call me soft!! lol i charge full fees while a child is in nursery (15 hrs a wk) as if a child falls ill i WILL COLLECT, (and if school close eg flood etc) as parents are working too far away to get to school or nursery in time. so i take the child home and ring parents to come collect ASAP which is about an hour away in good trafic, the child can rest with bucket and cosey blanket on my sofa while waiting which is much better for the child!
we have hard times with parents and we forgette why we do this job its because we are flexable and can care for the babies and young children BETTER than 20 to 30 children in a full nursery.
i agree we couldnot drag a sick child to and from school runs but we can try to help the sick child while parents are on their way.

**Blaze** · 09-12-2008, 10:34 PM

Unfortunately you are refering to the days when SS ran things (ish)...now with EYFS etc...we could get into trouble for collecting a sick child from one setting & making our other mindees ill, so in principle you are right, but in practice it could go against us...damned if we do & damned if we don't!

**Andrea08** · 09-12-2008, 11:32 PM

Blaze i have and will always respect what you say and how you help people on the forum but please can you point it out to me on the famework of EYFS

coz if i should not do this then i need proof to show parents to back myself up that i can no longer provide the service of collecting sick children until parents can collect.

EYFS was set up (in my eyes) for schools and nurserys not us CHILDMINDERS that care 1 to 3 under 5yr olds!!!

i can understand nurserys could not care for such children but under some surcumstances us childminders can assist until parents can travel back to home town!

i went into this work because of the children not red tape but at the same time i still need to keep my certificate from ofsted to give my service!!

thanks xxxx

**emmadines** · 10-12-2008, 09:41 AM

they should know that the same rules about illness like the sickness bug applies to both the school and childminders! stupid people.

Im actually an emergancy contact for one of my minded children at the school. the mum sort of asked me after the 1st day at the school.

**Rubybubbles** · 10-12-2008, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by emmadines

they should know that the same rules about illness like the sickness bug applies to both the school and childminders! stupid people.

Im actually an emergancy contact for one of my minded children at the school. the mum sort of asked me after the 1st day at the school.

but thats okay you said you would be!!!

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 10-12-2008, 10:54 AM

My only questions is: do you get paid whilst the child is at nursery?

If I was being paid then it would be my responsbility to collect the child and contact mum but if I wasn't then mum should be contacted, otherwise why am I being paid?

**mrsbumbles** · 10-12-2008, 11:04 AM

Yes i get paid whilst child is at playgroup but that is because the child requires those hours in the school holidays so i cant fill the childs place with another child whilst playgroup.

Parents pay to retain the childs place not for care of a sick child.

Pipsqueak · 10-12-2008, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Andrea08

Blaze i have and will always respect what you say and how you help people on the forum but please can you point it out to me on the famework of EYFS coz if i should not do this then i need proof to show parents to back myself up that i can no longer provide the service of collecting sick children until parents can collect.

EYFS was set up (in my eyes) for schools and nurserys not us CHILDMINDERS that care 1 to 3 under 5yr olds!!!
i can understand nurserys could not care for such children but under some surcumstances us childminders can assist until parents can travel back to home town!

i went into this work because of the children not red tape but at the same time i still need to keep my certificate from ofsted to give my service!!

thanks xxxx

The provider must promote the good health of the children, take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection and take appropriate action when they are ill

to me this means not allowing an ill child into our setting (knowingly) therefore preventing the spread of infection. Taking appropriate action when they are ill - sending them home....

(don't mean to jump in here

)

Andrea I too would collect an ill child - if it was only absolutely necessary. The playgroup should have rung the parents first. After all parents are
the main carers. I state to the parents that if they want me to be the first point of contact/collect the child we must have agreed this prior. I would not leave a child to suffer being ill at school but again I would try to take into account my own families' and other children welfare.

EYFS has been set up with all childcare providers in mind - not just nurserys and playgroups.

**Hannahlg** · 10-12-2008, 07:04 PM

it happend to us once too i went to pick the child up from the playgroup one of the playgroup workers think he had eaten sand and thats why he was sick, but there was a sickness bug going around. anywhays i phoned my mum at home and said what had happend etc she phoned parent and parent came to get him well we was getting bus home so met me at bus stop

and we have picked a child up from school who had a really bad cough etc. one parent works in manchster other works in leeds so school phoned parent parent phoned us and we picked child uo while she made way home which took her like c2 hours as has to get train etc etc. i mean this child jsut had a bad cough she sounded like a dog

**Andrea08** · 11-12-2008, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by Pipsqueak

The provider must promote the good health of the children, take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection and take appropriate action when they are ill

to me this means not allowing an ill child into our setting (knowingly) therefore preventing the spread of infection. Taking appropriate action when they are ill - sending them home....

(don't mean to jump in here

)Andrea I too would collect an ill child - if it was only absolutely necessary. The playgroup should have rung the parents first. After all parents are
the main carers. I state to the parents that if they want me to be the first point of contact/collect the child we must have agreed this prior. I would not leave a child to suffer being ill at school but again I would try to take into account my own families' and other children welfare.

EYFS has been set up with all childcare providers in mind - not just nurserys and playgroups.

jump in hun im glad you answered and now im understanding more xx
but i get paid for the hrs children are in nursery so to cover sickness till parents can get bk to collect esp if they are at university coz their phones have to be off till break time!!! (why not just on vibrate for emergencies?)RULES AT UNI are mad lol

i think its now a case of play it by ear, tell school or nursery to ring parents and if they are to be more than say half an hr then ill pick up until they can arrive for child but parents always push it dont they and turn up at 6pm lol