Reply to What are normal policies on sick children at daycare?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote]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. 
 [/quote]

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.  [/quote]

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