Home child care providers and kids fevers...?

Question

What is your fever policy, what is the max temp before calling parents to pick up the child? Illness policy in general?

Answer 1

I have been a child care provider in my home for 20 years. It is easier for me to take each child and each illness on a case by case basis since I care for only 6 or fewer children at one time. For a child who becomes ill after the parents have dropped him/her off, I generally use his/her behavior as the deciding factor whether I call the parents to come and pick up the child or if I just call them with the information and let them decide if they want to come or not. Fever in and of itself is not a reliable indicator of the severity of an illness so I always pay more attention to if the child is eating/drinking, how he/she is acting (clingy, whiny, cranky, excessively sleepy, lethargic), and ,if the child is verbal, listening to what complaints he/she has about what hurts or observing if a non-verbal child seems to have a pain somewhere (tugging at ears, holding his head, crying with a raspy voice). I do not have a specific temperature number that is the deciding factor. In fact, I rarely take a child's temperature. If a child begins to vomit or has diarrhea then I will call a parent to pick the child up. In general, my theory is that if a child develops an illness while at my house, he/she has already exposed us all, so going home is more a matter of comfort for the child versus keeping the rest of us healthy. In determining if a child is too sick to come to my house, I ask that a child who has a fever, who is vomiting or has diarrhea, is exceptionally needy (requires lots of holding and cuddling) or has a communicable disease (such as strep throat) be kept at home. Provided a child is feeling better and is not contagious then I say it is fine for parents to bring their child again when recovering from strep throat, ear infection, stomach virus, etc. Child care homes licensed for up to 12 children or child care centers as well as schools often have a policy of calling a parent when a fever is present. When you are dealing with a large number of children, it is usually better to be safe whenever a fever is present and send the child home. While it is not always the case, it is likely a child with a fever can develop more symptoms that require a doctor's visit. Most schools and child care centers are not equipped to handle a large number of ill children. Many schools and child cares also require a child to be fever-free for a specific length of time before the child should return to care or class.

Answer 2

I have a 24 hour fever policy and I give parents an hour to pick up their kids after a fever of 101... I try to be flexible if possible, but I don't want all the other children sick either..

Answer 3

I have always used the public school policy. A fever over 100 and they must be picked up and cannot come back until they have been fever free for 24 hours without Tylenol or Ibuprofen.

Answer 4

In my state home child care has the same guidelines as other facilities accept they can only have so many kids in their residence.

If a child is running fever they are usually contageous. Most places require that your child be fever free for 24 hours before sending them back.

Some children get what is called pyrexia (fever of unknow origin), but there mothers are usually aware and you would probably have been told about that.

Answer 5

When I worked, my daughter went to a home day care. If she was running a fever of 100 or more or if she was throwing up, I got called. No exceptions. She couldn't return until she'd been on antibiotic for 24 hours, either.

Answer 6

i know this is not all providers because providers all have diffiernt policies. but my day cares policiy is if the child is ill they dont come in and if a fever comes while there @ 100 degress they must contact parent byt it is best you contact provider and ask them

Answer 7

I'm not a daycare provider, but I am a daycare mom - you are SOOO right to send the kid home. No other parent wants their kid around a sick kid. I've had to take off when my daughter had a fever and no other symptoms, those are the rules. Our daycare is 24 hours vomit, diahrrea and fever free before the child can return. I don't mind one bit, cuz I want those other parents to do it too. When that fever turns into a vomiting virus, man, i am SOO glad i kept her home and didn't expose the other kids. And when it doesnt, well, better safe than sorry. You are doing the right thing, and the legal thing, so don't stress. You just have an annoying parent is all. :)

Answer 8

Speaking for my wife who owns a child care if they are at 100 they go home.

Answer 9

our daycare is 101.0 and they call us to come pick up our son then he has to stay out 24 hrs.