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Children and staff who have a reportable disease* may not be in attendance at the child care center unless approved by the local health authority. You must not take ear or rectal temperatures. Oral temperatures can be taken for preschool through school age if single use disposable covers are used over the thermometer.
Children with common colds do not need to stay home. Usually a child has already exposed others before appearing sick. Many illnesses stop being contagious shortly after medication is started. Other conditions are no longer contagious when children first show signs of illness. To exclude or isolate children with non-contagious, mild illnesses can be a hardship on the family and child.
Some infections such as chickenpox, hepatitis, and meningitis require the child to stay home for a lengthy recovery period. Talk to your health consultant or your local health department if you have questions about a particular illness.
You can ask parents to keep their child home for the child’s comfort. If children are uncomfortable, disoriented, or irritable, they are better off at home getting the rest and individual attention they need.
The center must have a clear policy on excluding a child from care. This policy should be reviewed when a child is enrolled and must be included in the Parent Handbook. Advise parents to have a back-up plan for their child's care when the child is too sick to be at the center. Children’s grandparents or a neighbor may be able to look after them occasionally.
Note: Encourage parents to allow their child to participate in outdoor activities, even if their child does have a slight cough or runny nose. Fresh air is invigorating and does not cause illness. Germs do. Active play often helps to clear clogged lungs and sinuses and can raise a child’s spirits. However, if parents insist that their child stay inside and you agree to care for the child that day, you should respect their wishes.
*Reportable diseases are diseases considered to be of great public health importance. Local, state, and national agencies (for example, county and state health departments or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) require that these diseases be reported when they are diagnosed by doctors or laboratories.
Children with common colds do not need to stay home. Usually a child has already exposed others before appearing sick. Many illnesses stop being contagious shortly after medication is started. Other conditions are no longer contagious when children first show signs of illness. To exclude or isolate children with non-contagious, mild illnesses can be a hardship on the family and child.
Some infections such as chickenpox, hepatitis, and meningitis require the child to stay home for a lengthy recovery period. Talk to your health consultant or your local health department if you have questions about a particular illness.
You can ask parents to keep their child home for the child’s comfort. If children are uncomfortable, disoriented, or irritable, they are better off at home getting the rest and individual attention they need.
The center must have a clear policy on excluding a child from care. This policy should be reviewed when a child is enrolled and must be included in the Parent Handbook. Advise parents to have a back-up plan for their child's care when the child is too sick to be at the center. Children’s grandparents or a neighbor may be able to look after them occasionally.
Note: Encourage parents to allow their child to participate in outdoor activities, even if their child does have a slight cough or runny nose. Fresh air is invigorating and does not cause illness. Germs do. Active play often helps to clear clogged lungs and sinuses and can raise a child’s spirits. However, if parents insist that their child stay inside and you agree to care for the child that day, you should respect their wishes.
*Reportable diseases are diseases considered to be of great public health importance. Local, state, and national agencies (for example, county and state health departments or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) require that these diseases be reported when they are diagnosed by doctors or laboratories.
The course does not "save" your progress. Use the checklist provided to track your progress, and click on the link in the menu to return to where you left off in the training.
