DCP sick policy

kelly422 · January 2014

What's your DCP sick policy, (specifically in regards to colds without a fever)?

Amelia4 · January 2014

No fever, no problem (assuming also no vomiting and diarrhea, but we don't get those with colds). If I had to keep K home every time he had a runny nose or a little cold, he'd have never gone to daycare the first winter or much of his second.

kelly422 · January 2014

@Amelia4 Thanks - that's what I figured but this is the first time my baby has been sick and I feel awful for her

Amelia4 · January 2014

@kelly422, If you want to (and can) stay home, go for it. I saved my sick leave for days I couldn't send K to school. I found that when the little ones feel bad, the daycare teachers spend more time cuddling and trying to make them feel better.

jennyelf · January 2014

Amelia4 said:

No fever, no problem (assuming also no vomiting and diarrhea, but we don't get those with colds). If I had to keep K home every time he had a runny nose or a little cold, he'd have never gone to daycare the first winter or much of his second.

Same. Figure as long as LO isn't acting too off, then we're good to go.

kelly422 · January 2014

@amelia4 I do have sick time, but I would also have to cancel all my patient appointments for the day. LO stays with a lady who homeschools her teenagers and takes care of a 2 yo as well, so not your traditional daycare. I also feel bad exposing her kids and the 2 yo to things, too.

Amelia4 · January 2014

@kelly422, I'd personally send the baby and not worry about exposing people to colds. I worry about spreading the flu or stomach bugs, but I figure colds are inevitable. Does she have a baby carrier (Ergo or wrap), or do you have one you can lend her for the day? In that setting, I'd encourage her to wear the baby so the baby get snuggles and she is still hands-free. But I'm sure she's dealt with babies with colds before and has many ideas for how to cope.

kelly422 · January 2014

@amelia4 Yeah, you're totally right. I think I'm overthinking this a little

The wrap is a great idea - I have both! Thanks

jf198400 · January 2014

I would definitely send a child with a cold. Don't worry exposing the other kids, that's probably where your LO got it from in the first place.

jesuisfatiguee · January 2014

Every little nose at DS' daycare is a little runny, it seems. As long as there is no fever and no signs of the flu or something more serious, we're good to go. Those daycare rooms are little petri dishes

dglvrk2 · January 2014

I've sent DD (2 and 1/2)to DC with a cold on several occasions. I can only think of two times we kept her home because of a cold. Then her symptoms were so severe that I worried it was something else. (Think persistent cough throughout the night and shoestrings of snot coming out of her nose.) DCP will send a child home with really severe cold symptoms, but generally it has to be a stomach virus, multiple episodes of diarrhea, or a fever that doesn't break with Motrin for her to be considered sick.

Whenever DD seems ill, DH and I consider whether or not we'd want her around our kid if she was someone else's child. It makes the decision to keep her home or send her to DC easier.

SLGILL1978 · January 2014

As long as she is not coughing constantly or coughing stuff up I send her.

RibbitGrl930 · January 2014

Pretty much the same as PPs- fine to stay if there's no fever. They usually won't call unless it gets to 101 or higher.

Something else to consider with kids getting colds at daycare- exposure to germs and colds is how the immune system gets built up. Of course, we don't want them drinking viles of flu or anything, but occasional exposure to a few cold germs isn't exactly a terrible thing.

cedenton · January 2014

My DCP is stupid about sick policy. Obviously they have all the usual stuff, but they also say coughing, which I'm hoping they really wouldn't enforce. I mean DS had a cough for over a month once (at other daycare). Monday they sent him home with a 100.2 "fever". When I asked what the fever threshold was they said "anything elevated". O_o Elevated from WHAT!? Every kid is different. Why can't they just follow the normal medically accepted definitions. Ugh

JackoftheBox · January 2014

At our DC you can send meds for colds. As long as they don't have a fever they are ok to come. I even send DS with breathing treatments at the first sign on a cold. Other posters are absolutely right. Your LO got it from there and everyone is more than likely exposed.

Also our first year of daycare DS was sick A LOT! But this year his immune system has built up and I have seen less sick time. GL!

kelly422 · January 2014

We don't do a traditional "daycare" actually - our provider homeschools her teenagers and takes care of my daughter, so I'm pretty sure she got sick from me since I'm around sick little kids all day and not her daycare

Anyhow, thanks for the comments, everyone!

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