How Sick is Too Sick for Daycare

If you know your child is coming down with a bug, do you still send them to day care or do you keep them home?

Don’t make snap decisions when it comes to your child’s health — be prepared and familiarize yourself with policies before problems arise.

Know the Rules It’s inevitable that your child will come down with something this winter. A group child care environment like day care is a wonderful environment for kids to play and learn, but can also be a breeding ground for germs.

When you’re interviewing child care facilities, ask what their sick policies are: If your child is out sick, when is he or she allowed to return?

Pink eye and the common cold are two of the most prevalent illnesses easily passed from child to child. Children generally should be fever-free or on a course of antibiotics/treatment for at least 24 hours before returning to school or day care.

Young children in group care will get sick because they have very underdeveloped immune systems. It is the nature of this stage of development.

Make Good Decisions Know the consequences of sending your child in sick. Child care centers often have strict policies on how they limit the spread of germs and includes sending your child home when they see symptoms of an illness.

There are two important reasons to not take your sick child to daycare: First, is the safety and recovery of your sick child. Secondly, they can pass on the virus or sickness to both the care providers and other children.

Develop a Family Sick Plan Consider taking turns staying home or each working a half day. For single parents, this is more challenging. Find out if nearby family and friends can help if your child needs last minute care.

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