What are normal policies on sick children at daycare?

[Anonymous]

My infant just tested positive for RSV, which she picked up from another infant at daycare. This is the first time she has been sick, so naturally I am worried and upset, especially because I saw a child who had an obvious cold (mucus all over his face, sneezing, coughing, etc) who had been dropped off to daycare two days in a row this way, and immediately before my baby got sick.

I have taken my daughter out of daycare until she gets better because I want to help her get better, but many people have told me just to drop her off at daycare while she is sick since she doesn't have a fever.

Do most parents only take their child out of daycare only if they have a fever? What are your experiences with illnesses at daycare? Do parents usually pretend their children are not sick and drop them off to daycare anyway?

[Anonymous]

Most parents don't knowingly send their kids to daycare sick. However, most kids are contagious days before they get symptoms. If people kept their kids out of daycare everytime they had a runny nose, they'd never go. Runny noses are symptoms of teething, colds, and sometimes more serious things. Fevers above a certain level (101 in our daycare), diarrhea, positive strep or other infection are the reasons kids must be kept home. Normally, a kid can't return until they are fever or diarrhea free fro 24 hours. As for infections, return time is usually based on the start of treatment. Your daycare should be able to give you the full list.

[Anonymous]

I worked in a daycare center for years. I was also the director of a large daycare center and taught kindergarten and first grade in the public schools. My experience is that most (not all) working parents will drop their children off, sick or not, if they think they can get away with it. It's pretty common for sick kids to come in without much fever. You can tell by looking at them that they are ill. And sure enough, six hours later when the motrin wears off, their fever goes up. Of course, by then it's mid-afternoon. You can call the parents....and they'll come. But they'll drag it out until about 3-4pm. In other words, they do whatever they can not to miss work. Every teacher and daycare provider knows this. But there isn't much you can do about it when they policy is "fever over 100.6". Technically, a child should not return to school or daycare until they have been fever free for 24 hours. But that policy isn't enforced in any daycare or school I've ever taught in.

If that offends, I'm apologize. That's my experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worked in a daycare center for years. I was also the director of a large daycare center and taught kindergarten and first grade in the public schools. My experience is that most (not all) working parents will drop their children off, sick or not, if they think they can get away with it. It's pretty common for sick kids to come in without much fever. You can tell by looking at them that they are ill. And sure enough, six hours later when the motrin wears off, their fever goes up. Of course, by then it's mid-afternoon. You can call the parents....and they'll come. But they'll drag it out until about 3-4pm. In other words, they do whatever they can not to miss work. Every teacher and daycare provider knows this. But there isn't much you can do about it when they policy is "fever over 100.6". Technically, a child should not return to school or daycare until they have been fever free for 24 hours. But that policy isn't enforced in any daycare or school I've ever taught in.

If that offends, I'm apologize. That's my experience.

And it is the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most parents don't knowingly send their kids to daycare sick. However, most kids are contagious days before they get symptoms. If people kept their kids out of daycare everytime they had a runny nose, they'd never go. Runny noses are symptoms of teething, colds, and sometimes more serious things. Fevers above a certain level (101 in our daycare), diarrhea, positive strep or other infection are the reasons kids must be kept home. Normally, a kid can't return until they are fever or diarrhea free fro 24 hours. As for infections, return time is usually based on the start of treatment. Your daycare should be able to give you the full list.

Ditto.

[Anonymous]

Plus mucus and coughs from colds can last a couple of weeks, so it isn't realistic to keep a child out of daycare for mucus and coughing if there is no fever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worked in a daycare center for years. I was also the director of a large daycare center and taught kindergarten and first grade in the public schools. My experience is that most (not all) working parents will drop their children off, sick or not, if they think they can get away with it. It's pretty common for sick kids to come in without much fever. You can tell by looking at them that they are ill. And sure enough, six hours later when the motrin wears off, their fever goes up. Of course, by then it's mid-afternoon. You can call the parents....and they'll come. But they'll drag it out until about 3-4pm. In other words, they do whatever they can not to miss work. Every teacher and daycare provider knows this. But there isn't much you can do about it when they policy is "fever over 100.6". Technically, a child should not return to school or daycare until they have been fever free for 24 hours. But that policy isn't enforced in any daycare or school I've ever taught in.

If that offends, I'm apologize. That's my experience.

I think a few bad apples makes it a stereotype. I have almost no vacation time because I'm always taking off with sick kids. And most of the parents I know are the same way. That said, I do know a few that don't. And there's times when a parent knows it doesn't matter, because everyone has been exposed anyway - like Fifths disease. By the time the child has the tell-tale slapped cheek look, the infection is almost over and its contagious well before symptoms appear. If I stayed home every day my children had a runny nose, I'd never go to work.

[Anonymous]

I'm so sorry that your baby got RSV. We have a 8 month old and a 3 year old, and our baby got RSV too. I asked all of the teachers in our infant room whether any of the babies had RSV and they said no. Apparently, RSV for an infant = bad cold for a toddler and for adults. Mine probably caught it somewhere else (maybe from my husband who had a bad cold).

There would be no babies/kids in daycare if every parent had to keep them home if they had a runny nose or a cold. One of the benefits of daycare is to build up the kids' immune systems.

I'm sorry if I am offending you or anyone else. I was recently in your shoes, and RSV was very stressful for our family. I am just providing another way to look at it.

I hope your baby has a speedy recovery.

[Anonymous]

My baby has had a continuous runny nose since Feb and he's had several ear infections since then. When he has a fever or is obviously not well, of course I keep him home. He is more needy then, and I don't feel right about leaving him at day care.

At the same time, I agree with all PPs. If I kept him home just because he had a snotty nose or cough, he would never be in day care. Also, no one else is abiding by that standard either, so what's the point of my doing so?

[Anonymous]

I worked in a daycare center for years. I was also the director of a large daycare center and taught kindergarten and first grade in the public schools. My experience is that most (not all) working parents will drop their children off, sick or not, if they think they can get away with it. It's pretty common for sick kids to come in without much fever. You can tell by looking at them that they are ill. And sure enough, six hours later when the motrin wears off, their fever goes up. Of course, by then it's mid-afternoon. You can call the parents....and they'll come. But they'll drag it out until about 3-4pm. In other words, they do whatever they can not to miss work. Every teacher and daycare provider knows this. But there isn't much you can do about it when they policy is "fever over 100.6". Technically, a child should not return to school or daycare until they have been fever free for 24 hours. But that policy isn't enforced in any daycare or school I've ever taught in.

I wish wish wish it were that simple.

Body temperatures are at their lowest in the morning and gradually increase over the course of a day. It is a medical fact. The same goes for fevers. I would be willing to bet that in 90% of the cases of kids developing temps during the day at daycare, they probably did not have a temp that morning. There are ABSOLUTELY some people that medicate their children and send them - I know it happens, I've seen it - but I don't think it is as often as you suggest.

I was called to pick up my son from preschool on Monday afternoon, at 3:45 PM. He was fine all weekend, he was fine that morning. When he got up from his nap, he had a fever of 102. I got there by 4:30 (it takes that long to get there from DC) adn I am sure they assumed I gave him motrin when I dropped him off at 7:30, but I didn't. I've been home with him since then, too - all day Tuesday and all day Wednesday.

They do enforce their rules, too . . . on our way out the director reminded me "he has to stay home tomorrow, too, unless you get a note from the doctor!" Duh, of coruse we kept him home. But they DO enforce the rules there.

I think the fact that you think some centers don't speaks more to the quality of the places you worked than anything else.

RSV is so, so contagious. Both my kids actually had it twice. Sorry you are going through that, but it goes with the territory of daycare. Once your kids are a little older, you'll understand why you can't keep them home every time they have a runny nose. As it is, I've already racked up 23 sick days since November alone, all for my two kids. My husband took another 15 or so. And they do go to school with runny noses. Otherise we'd never go to work. Ever.

[Anonymous]

PP 11:39 Wow - you have taken 23 days of sick time since November and your husband has taken 15 days over the same time period? Are you really telling me that at least one of your kids was sick enough to have to stay home for 38 week days in the past 5 1/2 months? That seems excessive.

[Anonymous]

PP 11:39 Wow - you have taken 23 days of sick time since November and your husband has taken 15 days over the same time period? Are you really telling me that at least one of your kids was sick enough to have to stay home for 38 week days in the past 5 1/2 months? That seems excessive.

Unfortunately, yes. We've had a really bad run of it. Since January, our sick days have overlapped so it probably hasn't been 38 full days, probably more like 20+. - I'm on a 1 year assignment where I can't miss a full day (lack of back up) so we do half days when our kids are sick. But this week is a perfect example of a total loss of a week. The older one got sent home on Monday with a fever. We had to take off Tuesday and Wednesday. Older one seems better today (no fever since last night) and can probably go back to school tomorrow, but the younger one now is showing symptoms and will likely have a fever tomorrow. So we'll also be off Thursday and Friday.

It sucks.

[Anonymous]

My work lets me take up to 5 of my sick days/yr to cover looking after a sick relative. It is a nice perk to have and between this and working from home now that my youngest is 3 and can be plonked in front of the TV when necessary I haven't had to take any vacation time this year b/c of kids' sickness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My work lets me take up to 5 of my sick days/yr to cover looking after a sick relative. It is a nice perk to have and between this and working from home now that my youngest is 3 and can be plonked in front of the TV when necessary I haven't had to take any vacation time this year b/c of kids' sickness.

I can take all of my sick days to care for my sick child, just like if I was sick. That isn't standard?

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm so sorry your child got RSV. Most daycares will tell you that children can come with runny noses (and yes, even green snot etc... b/c colored snot in iteself does not mean infection unless it lasts longer than a week (for my children who are prone to sinus infections) according to my ENT and ped. Kids should be kept home if they have a fever, diahreah, vomiting. Also, if a child has a cold and just seems under the weather but not fever etc.... it's nice if parents keep them home, but my experience is that most don't. My friend is always afraid that she will lose her job when she takes sick leave for her kids (and I bet a lot more people have that fear).