Does anyone understand my frustration with Daycare?

Question

I pay Daycare $210.00 a week for my two boys to go full time. Yesterday they call me to leave work and come and get my 15 Mo. telling me he had pink eye. I call the doctor who won't see him and won't prescribe anything because they say it is just the common cold virus. This makes sense to me because he has a runny nose and cough just like every other kid in his class. The doctor says just put some Johnsons soap on a cotton swab with warm water and clean the eye.( which his eyes aren't even pink they just have crusties when he wakes from his nap) The child has No fever and no other symptoms he's fine. The Daycare also says he can't come back for 24 hrs. I HAVE TO WORK to pay the insane child care costs. Which I have to pay whether he's there or not. It seems to me they can't wait to send our kids home so it's one less for them to deal with, who are they? They aren't doctors. I am so pissed The sick season hasn't even really started yet, I can only imagine what is in store for me.

Answer 1

I am on both ends of this scenario... I am a preschool teacher who has a two-year-old at the preschool I teach at. From a mom point of view, I understand your concern about having to work to pay for childcare (even though my child attends the school I work for, I do not get a tuition discount). Tuition is steep- and they know what they pay me! Anyway, I have a hard time when my child's teacher decides that my child is too sick to stay, too. That means I have to go too. On the other hand, I can also understand from the teacher's perspective. They are trying to contain the spread of diseases like pink eye (which is highly contagious) because little kids put everything in their mouths. As a teacher, I want the child to get treated right away. You're right though, teachers are not doctors, and cannot diagnose a condition. However, teachers and administration staff set up guidelines (in your handbook you receive when you enroll your child) that help to determine when a child should be sent home. As long as they are following their procedures, and not just sending your child home on a whim, you must comply. It won't hurt to take your child into the doc and see what is causing the crusties... if your doc says it's ok- have him write a note saying that your child is not contagious to others and bring your child back the next day with the note. If, on the other hand, your child does have a contagious condition, you will have to keep them out for 24 hours after the first application of medication. The way I had to think about it when my child was being told they had to go home was: what if it was reversed? What if there was another child at my kid's center who was not being sent home? My child would be exposed to whatever they had. The center is acting in the best interests of ALL the children- both yours and the other children your child comes into contact with. We are lucky at our center- we have an onsite nurse who can make the determination (she is the "bad guy" who has to call the parents to pick up their child). But, if she sends mine home, I know it is for the best for all the children involved. Get the flu shot for your child... the sick season is coming up fast!

Answer 2

I used to work in daycare. When a child appears to be ill, those in daycare have an obligation to send that child home. Why? because that child could infect the other children. It has nothing to do with wanting to get rid of your children. Would you want daycare providers to keep an ill child in the room, in close contact with your child? They may not be doctors but they are familiar with common childhood illnesess because they are faced with them on a regular basis. Just like you, as a mother, are probably able to diagnose your child more times than not.

Pink eye does not include fever symptoms. It also does not always include a red or pink color in the eye. It can often simply be a discharge which crusts over the eye. Pink eye is not uncommon during a cold or during times of runny nose and cough. I think you need to consider another doctor if your current doctor is willing to make a diagnosis without even seeing your child.

If you had a note from the doctor most daycares will take the child. If no note, then the answer would be no. I think this is very responsible and I'm amazed that you are not understanding of this. I understand you need to work but doesn't your child's health come first? And, as I said before, doesn't it make sense to be sure so that other children aren't getting infected?

Answer 3

I work in a day care and I find it really odd that there are families that are paying 600 dollars per month per child even though one or both parents are at home all day. What a waste of money and a waste of time with your child! I can definatly understand wanting a break but I think it would make more sense to hire a babysitter or drop the children off at a friend or relative's house for the day or even a couple hours rather than start them in daycare. Most daycare around here do not accept part-time positions and they expect the child to be there 40 hours a week and even if they arent you must pay for 40 hours. A babysitter you would only have to pay for the time you needed to go shopping, clean the house, or whatever you wanted to do. Also, for children who have been at home, adjusting to daycare can be very stressful for the child and the daycare provider (some children are so upset when they first start that they cry for several minutes or even hours at a time, and it can take weeks for them to adjust). My daughter is in a home day-care part time (the one place we found that would accept part time) and I feel guilty enough about that even though she is home with me on the weekend and with my husband 2 or 3 days during the week.

Answer 4

This is a double edged sword here : i totally get your fristration , and i totally understand the daycares point as well . Pink eye (if it were to be that ) is soooooooo contagious : but only in the first 24 hours and it needs an antibiotic for the cure of it ...
I whave faced the same type dilemma, and have told the doctors office that in order for the child to return to school/daycare, a doctors note is mandatory --they might be more apt to help then . If not ? Take the child to a walk in center -- somewhere to get the child looked at and cleared. The doctors office CAN NOT assume its not pink eye- they cant pass that judgement via a phone call ....
Good luck *

Answer 5

You have some very good points! It's very hard to understand why they would send one child home and not all the kids because the fact is in a daycare situation most or all of the kids are sick at the same time! My daughter got pink eye 3 times in a matter of weeks, we would just start to see her getting better and she would go to school and get it again! The whole thing just sucks! Well i sure hope things get better for you, Have a great day!

Answer 6

I understand your frustration but the daycare is concerned that whatever virus your child has will spread to the others, which is not fair to the other kids or their parents. And no, the daycare staff aren't doctors but surely they've been around children long enough to know when one is sick enough to be home with mom and dad.

Answer 7

Your problem is not the daycare it is the doctor.
I would never leave my child in a daycare that did not send a sick, contagious child home and I would never ever take my child to a doctor who refused to see my child no matter what I said was wrong with him.
$210 per week for two children?
You better hang onto that daycare for that price if this is the only problem you have with them. If you are unhappy with the daycare for other reasons then it is time for you to find a new daycare, never leave your children someplace that you are unhappy with for any reason.

Answer 8

I would get a note from the dr and then take him back to daycare w/ that note.

I am in shock at the prices of daycare. I am a SAHM and am going to start watching a newborn in nov. I am charging them 75.00 a week. I don't want to get rich off of parents trying to support there children, I want to help them out and also have a lil extra cash

Answer 9

I SOO understand your frustration. I have a child who has IBS and has been sent home numerous times because his stool is loose (and no other symptoms) I brought TWO letters from the doctor that stated he was medically cleared for daycare before they left him alone. I also brought soymilk and yogurt to the center for them to feed him to demonstrate that I was working with them to "solve" his "problem". The day care director said that she hoped we understood her position about "sick" children. I told her that I understood her policy(and i do--I don't want contagious kids around my child), but hoped she understood my frustration at having to take a day off of work to take a well child to the doctor so I could pay them to care for him. We have not had any problems since then.


PS $210.00 for two sounds pretty reasonable to me-lol

Answer 10

Deal with it. You are correct, they are not doctors, but they do have protocols thay have to follow to make certain other kids do not get contagious diseases. You don't have a right to have your child infect other kids just because you need to work. If you're a single parent, you should have considered this before you had kids.
Maybe you have family or friends that can watch your kids until they are well enough to return to daycare.