Every parent has been there, you get a call from your child care center and they tell you Susie needs to be picked up AGAIN. Why? There are a lot of reasons, but the guidelines child care centers use are determined by the Center for Disease Control and/or the local health department. In most states, this is also a child care licensing standard.
In a nutshell, the things that will exclude your child from group care are in place to keep ALL children healthy.
*A fever of 100 degrees or higher. This one often raises questions because sometimes this is the only symptom children have. Fever is an indicator of infection. The body is an amazing machine! In response to infection, your body raises its temperature to kill it off. It may seem tempting to just give your child a dose of fever reducing medicine and drop them off at your center. However that will backfire because the medicine wears off and your child’s temperature rises again. Not only do you now have to go pick your child up, you are stalling the body’s healing. You might say, “He’s teething, that’s all.” If you strongly feel that is why your child has a fever, take them to your pediatrician. If your doctor agrees, they can write a note that says your child is infection free and able to return to group care.
*Two or more episodes of vomiting or diarrhea. Why? Again, because the body is designed to get rid of things that are bad for it. Diarrhea or vomiting can be result of a viral or bacterial infection. It could also be due to food poisoning. “But, my child is on an antibiotic, and diarrhea is a side effect.” Then make sure your center has all of the documentation on hand that states this.
For more information or research, visit www.cdc.gov.
