Sick Policy

Children MUST remain home and/or will be sent home for the following reasons:

• Fever
• Symptoms and signs of possible severe illness such as lethargy that is more than expected tiredness, uncontrolled coughing, inexplicable or persistent crying, difficulty breathing, wheezing or other unusual signs for the child
• Diarrhea not associated with changes in diet or where the child is unable to make it to the bathroom
• Any blood in stools not explained by diet changes, medications, or hard stools
• Vomiting
• Mouth sores unless doctor determines that the child is not contagious
• Unexplained rash other than diaper rash
• Conjunctivitis (defined as the whites of the eye being pink or red and having white, yellow or green discharge from the eyes)
• Head Lice - Child must remain home until treated and nit free.

To protect the health of other children in the day home, I can not accept a child for care if any of the above symptoms are present or have been present within the last 24 hours. If you are uncertain, please call me about your child's health to avoid being turned away at the door. If the child shows any of the symptoms listed above while in my care, I will phone you to discuss whether they should be taken home.

The child may return 24 hours after a temperature has returned to normal, 24 hours after a child has stopped vomiting, or 24 to 48 hours (depending on the illness) after the first dose of an antibiotic. If a child receives an antibiotic for an ear infection he may return immediately if he has been free of other symptoms mentioned above for at least 24 hours.

If you have school aged children, please let me know if a head lice advisory has been sent home with your child.

Sometimes a child may not be that sick, but experiencing high irritability, and neediness, and overall miserable feeling. Should this occur while at the day home, you will be notified and we'll discuss the best course of action to keep your little one as comfortable as possible.

Medications

If your child is on prescription medication that needs to be administered while in my care, the medicine must be in the original container and labeled with the child's name, doctor's name, name of medication, dosage, and time(s) to be taken.

I will administer non-prescription medicine such as Tylenol, but the parent must provide it and indicate the dosage and time(s) to be taken.

I will also have a form for you to sign giving me permission to give the medication to your child. I can not administer medication without written permission. Medication will be administered at the time or with the meal you specify and a written log kept.

Emergencies

If a medical emergency arises, I will try to contact you first, unless doing so endangers your child's life. In that case I will take necessary steps, putting the child first (calling hospital, doctor, poison control, etc.). If need be, I will take your child to the Leduc hospital or the doctor first, then try to call you when we arrive.

In the event of a fire, I will evacuate the house and gather at the end of the block . This will be practiced monthly so the children are familiar with what to do.