How long do you keep your LO out of daycare when sick?

Amandam777 · November 2013

I am new to using daycare and need some advice! My 14 month old started daycare 2 months ago after being home with a nanny for a year. She's now on her 4th illness with a sinus infection and low fever (not technically a fever by daycare standards). Does it make sense to keep her out of daycare until she finishes her antibiotics? I was thinking it might give her a break and maybe just maybe give a little more time before she gets sick again. I am lucky to have a lot of family close and backup care partially paid through work. How long do you keep your LOs out of daycare when sick?

shakinros · November 2013

Depends on the illness. If a fever, we go with 24hrs after the fever is gone (our dc's rule but it makes sense to me). She had a couple bouts of pinkeye over the summer and for those we kept her home an extra day after it looked like it had cleared. Antibiotics were not quite done yet when we sent her back.

If you've got easy backup care, then sure, keep her home a little longer. I don't, so DH and I have to negotiate who will skip work for each day she's sick. We usually send her back as soon as it is ok to do so.

ss265 · November 2013

Same here. DS was diagnosed with strep yesterday morning and DH stayed home with him. He is back at day care today though since the doctor said he could return today. Other than some mild coughing, he did not seem uncomfortable and just played all day long yesterday. If he was feeling miserable, we might have kept him home another day but it also depends on our work schedules.

He is on antibiotics for the next 10 days and there is no way DH and I can stay home with him for 10 days so he will definitely be in day care while on antibiotics.

Nechie122 · November 2013

I usually send her back once she's been fever-free for 24 hours. I will definitely send her before she finishes her antibiotics. We don't have family to help and while we're lucky to have access to back-up care through DH's job, it still costs more than $100/day.

djm31012 · November 2013

we do fever free for 24 hours and on antibiotics (if required) for 24 hours. I also play it by ear with how DS seems..if hes mushy/lethargic i will keep him him another day, even if he doesnt necessarily have a temperature. he sleeps better at home and it helps him get better faster. the first year of day care is so hard, especially this time of year. I can sympathize~ we have had 3 infections in a month!

Pips09 · November 2013

Fever (or vomit/diarrhea) free for 24 hours.

TheBorg7of9 · November 2013

If I kept DS home for the entire course of antibiotics, he would never be at daycare.

I sent him back to daycare when it had been 24 hours since a high fever. I don't see how it would be possible to stay home from work every time for the whole length of the illness.

Mustardseed2007 · November 2013

When we started DC, the first time DS was sick we kept him home until he was better. But then he got sick again right away. At this point, we don't keep him home unless he's actually at their standards for not coming in or he seems like he's otherwise miserable. In DS's case, since starting DC he seems to be almost constantly congested or coughing, but his mood is really up, he's active, eating well and has no fever. So generally he goes. We have family as our backup care and even though it's generally available, I try and save it up for those really bad moments so I'm not taking advantage.

QueSrah · November 2013

I wouldn't try to keep DD home through a whole course of antibiotics. Occasionally I've kept her home a day where she technically could have gone to school (hot but no fever above 100.1*, or an extra day after having a stomach bug), but we pretty much send her to daycare as long as she meets their criteria (fever-free for at least 24 hours, not lethargic, can go on the playground with the other kids).

preggersin2011 · November 2013

In my house, if LO can go to day care then she goes. i.e fever/rash/vomiting free for 24 hrs.

emberlee3 · November 2013

They go back as soon as they meet the criteria for DCPs sick policy: 24 hrs fever/vomit/diarrhea free or as long as pediatrician clears them (24 hrs antibiotics for strep, for example).

LoCarb · November 2013

I keep DD's home the shortest time possible according to DC guidelines

jennyelf · November 2013

Like many of the others here, only as long as is required by DC. DH has limited sick days and we don't have a lot of options for extended backup care. Fortunately, LO seems to perk up pretty quickly once the fever is gone so I don't really feel guilty about sending LO back to DC.

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