DC Daycares and Communicable Disease Reporting

[Anonymous]

Hi all, do you know if daycares in DC are required to report communicable diseases to parents? Or is this a NAEYC requirement? I ask because for the 6 months my child has been in daycare, we have never received a notice. And when my child was hospitalized with pneumonia, I called to report it, and I was pretty surprised that they didn't send out a notice to parents.

[Anonymous]

The following diseases and any other communicable diseases occurring as an outbreak of illness or toxic conditions, regardless of etiology, in an institution or other identifiable group of people shall be considered
communicable diseases, but only when they occur in unusual numbers:
(a) Chickenpox;
(b) Enterobiasis (pinworm);
(c) Glandular fever, infectious;
(d) Histoplasmosis;
(e) Impetigo contagioso;
(f) Influenza;
(g) Kerato-conjunctivitis;
(h) Mumps;
(i) Pedicutosis;
(j) Pneumonia; and
(k) Scabies.

[Anonymous]

Not required but it is good policy.

[Anonymous]

They do send out notices when in unusual numbers but please realize, pneumonia for the most part is a result of a progression of an illness that was not properly treated or recognized. unless ofcourse it is mycoplasma pneumonia which is the only one that is contagious... but usually infants and toddlers do not catch that kind in particular. I know this because a friend of ours had it and my toddler was exposed. the pediatrician said I do not need to worry about mycoplasma pneumonia... but should watch for strep and other systems. Also told me pneumonia is not typically contagious unless it is mycoplasma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They do send out notices when in unusual numbers but please realize, pneumonia for the most part is a result of a progression of an illness that was not properly treated or recognized. unless ofcourse it is mycoplasma pneumonia which is the only one that is contagious... but usually infants and toddlers do not catch that kind in particular. I know this because a friend of ours had it and my toddler was exposed. the pediatrician said I do not need to worry about mycoplasma pneumonia... but should watch for strep and other systems. Also told me pneumonia is not typically contagious unless it is mycoplasma.

OP here. It was caused by RSV. Our son showed no signs of illness until I went to pick him up from daycare and he had a fever of 102.5. It was our ICU doctor that told us to report it to the daycare.

[Anonymous]

At my child's daycare a notice is usually posted on the door and sometimes if multiple rooms have had problems with a sickness it is included in the email newsletter.

[Anonymous]

One case of pnemumonia isn't going to prompt a notice to everyone in the daycare. It's not contagious (although the initial illness may be) and one small child getting it isn't particularly alarming or cause for concern by anyone other than the child's caregivers themselves.