Fever and daycare policies

[escapethevillage]

I'll be honest here. If I have a family, and I KNOW them, I will let them bring a sick child over, as long as there aren't any extenuating circumstances. I had one child with a heart condition. I didn't take sick kids that winter because he was too fragile.

I had one deaf child who was due to have cochlear implants soon, and I wouldn't take sick kids then either, because her surgery was more important.

If it's close to a major Holiday, I don't want sick kids, because why ruin the holiday for someone else? Just keep them home, come back healthy.

Other than that, I don't exclude for every little thing. I use judgement on a case by case. But, I have two drop in kids who's parents will do ANYTHING to be able to bring the sick kids over to me. In fact, they actively try just to be away from them for a few hours, so they'd rather spread it to our house and have a few hours off. So, it's parents like that who ruin it for the others.

[abunchoflemons]

When I did do daycare for mine it was if like pink eye I souls stay home our something. Otherwise I had to go. Colds go around in winter. Mine would just requireme to put her medication in formine.

[momtojande]

Originally Posted by firsttimeclothmomma My issue is these fevers last 3-4 days - not always high (102 is his where he tops out) and he's acting/eating fine. And he's been doing this fever thing every 10-14 days. We love our son and want to take care of him but we can't stay home three days a week every other week for fevers. ugh.

Unfortunately there's not much you can do about it. Except wait it out. I've heard that babies/toddlers in daycare get sick more often, but then by school age they get sick less often than their classmates who stayed home. That's been true for us -- I used to be very stressed about how to manage sick days. But (knock on wood) neither kid has had a sick day for over a year, and they're in 1st grade and Kindergarten now.

[l_Kimmie_l]

My old daycare would call me if DS's temp was over 99, which was his normal temp. I had to get a doctor's note so they would raise it to 100 for us. It was hard as I missed work a lot. He got sick a bit more than kids who stay home, so I had to be prepared to call out. I was lucky to be in nursing where even if I got fire for having a sick kid, there were plenty of jobs. I worked agency while he was really young to choose when I wanted to work as to not get in trouble for a sick kid.

[badmisterkitty]

That's so hard. Our middle DD is prone to fevers, too. We've spent many a day home with a feverish kid with absolutely zero other symptoms. This last run was 3 days and low & behold a giant molar popped through and her fever was gone.

I don't want to spread illness far & wide, but it's tough to make that call to daycare to tell them you are staying home with a seemingly normal, slightly warmish child. I have a personal theory that kids are contagious long before they spike a fever, so the damage is done and exclusion may only slightly lessen the likelihood of exposure. So while I comply with my DCP and her policies, I don't actively agree with them. I wouldn't send a noticeably sick child to daycare, but I sure wish I had a little more wiggle room for low grade fevers.

I guess what I'm saying is that it boils down to the DCP's policy. What does she say? Is she calling you to come get him or just to let you know? Would she prefer you keep him home 24 hours fever free or some other length of time or do you have the freedom to bring him as long as he doesn't have a fever?

[elioraimmanuel]

I would send him.

Are you BFing? If so, get some Megaflora Plus, immediately. If not, I'd give him a bit of Kid's N Megaflora for the next several months. The antibiotic have destroyed his gut flora.

I'd also find a really good chiropractor, immediately.

[doodah]

Originally Posted by Mom2Connor But you can't send him when he keeps having fevers either. Ultimately, it's up to the parents to be able to handle the situation, the daycare provider can't be expected to take in a child with a fever several days a week and risk all of the kids (and herself) getting sick. I've never really understood the "teething" thing. DS never had a fever when he was teething, so it's just odd to me. Perhaps you need to look into a different childcare arrangement for awhile. Even if it costs more, it doesn't sound like you have much of a choice. May need to hire someone privately so there isn't an issue with other kids being exposed.

I believe there is some debate about whether teething causes fevers or not. Either way, i agree that the problem of the ongoing fevers needs to be solved between a parent and their doctor NOT the provider. If she does not offer sick care, then again, it is up to the parent to find someone who does....not get frustrated at the provider for not changing her policies. As a daycare provider myself, I know first hand how impossible it is to tailor care to each families particular needs. If you need that sort of attention, it is best to consider staying home with your child or considering a nanny or start looking for a daycare that does provider sick care (with the knowledge that your child may be exposed to a lot more in that situation)

[doodah]

Originally Posted by escapethevillage For us (daycare providers) "Teething" is a running joke. When we are sick, we call it "teething". Even if we are on our deathbeds, it's "Just teething". Even if the child really is teething, if the parents says that, we are silently laughing at them. The "teething" excuse along with the "It's just allergies" excuse is WAY overused. So, when it's legit, we don't believe it.

LOL I have had EVERYTHING blamed on teething....violent tantrums, aggressive behavior, and all sorts of things. yes, it is a running joke with providers. many parents use the teething/allergy excuse to justify all sorts of issues. I had someone justify some behavioral issues their child was having....the excuse was that it was snowing that day and their child was allergic to snow. funny thing is that the problems were still there on the non-snowy days

sorry to get off topic!

[doodah]

Originally Posted by elioraimmanuel I would send him. Are you BFing? If so, get some Megaflora Plus, immediately. If not, I'd give him a bit of Kid's N Megaflora for the next several months. The antibiotic have destroyed his gut flora. I'd also find a really good chiropractor, immediately.

It is my understanding that if she tries to send him, the provider will insist he go home. Its not cool to send a child to daycare when you know in the morning that his fever is high enough that the provider has said he should stay home.

[doodah]

Originally Posted by badmisterkitty That's so hard. Our middle DD is prone to fevers, too. We've spent many a day home with a feverish kid with absolutely zero other symptoms. This last run was 3 days and low & behold a giant molar popped through and her fever was gone. I don't want to spread illness far & wide, but it's tough to make that call to daycare to tell them you are staying home with a seemingly normal, slightly warmish child. I have a personal theory that kids are contagious long before they spike a fever, so the damage is done and exclusion may only slightly lessen the likelihood of exposure. So while I comply with my DCP and her policies, I don't actively agree with them. I wouldn't send a noticeably sick child to daycare, but I sure wish I had a little more wiggle room for low grade fevers. I guess what I'm saying is that it boils down to the DCP's policy. What does she say? Is she calling you to come get him or just to let you know? Would she prefer you keep him home 24 hours fever free or some other length of time or do you have the freedom to bring him as long as he doesn't have a fever?

i understand what you are saying as far as everyone already being exposed even if a child is sent home sick. But that is not the only reason to send home a sick child. Ill children need TLC that only mom can provide. Can you imagine a daycare provider being able to provider ANY extra attention to a sick child when they have anywhere from several to 20+ other children to care for? Lets say he vomits or has diarrhea at daycare....in the 10 minutes or more that it takes to clean up that mess and sanitize properly, a lot can happen for a room full of children. Its not fair to the other kids for the provider to be tending to and cleaning up after ONE child while the rest are on their own for the day. you see what I am saying? There is numerous reasons to send home an ill child, it is not just about exposure to others. You have to consider what you are asking the provider to do and what you are expecting your child to do (keep up with the other kids, not have the rest and quiet and attention they might need being sick, etc)

I know this thread is not exactly the same thing because the OPs child supposedly does not have any other symptoms but my comment is something to consider if you have a child in daycare.