PARENT HANDBOOK

Criteria for Excluding Sick Children

Your child will be temporarily excluded from the classroom, in Get Well Care, if there is room, or sent home as soon as possible if one or more of the following conditions exist.  If parents are called to pick up sick children, arrangements must be made to pick the child up within one hour.  After one hour, late fees will accrue at the same rate as after 6:00 pick up.

Conditions requiring exclusion from the classroom:

1. The illness prevents your child from participating comfortably in activities as determined by the child care provider;

2. The illness results in a greater need for care than the child care classroom staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children as determined by the child care provider;

3.  Your child has any of the following conditions:

  • Fever over 100 degrees
  • Symptoms and signs of possible severe illness until medical professional evaluation finds the child able to be included at the Child Care Center . Symptoms and signs of severe illness shall include
    • Lethargy that is more than expected tiredness
    • Uncontrolled coughing
    • Inexplicable irritability or persistent crying
    • Wheezing or difficulty breathing
    • Other signs unusual for the child
  • Diarrhea, defined by more watery stools, decrease form of stool that is not

associated with change in diet and increased frequency of passing stool, that is not contained by the child’s ability to use the toilet.  Children whose diarrhea is found to be caused by organisms such as Salmonella, or Shigella will be excluded from the Child Care Center until they meet requirements set by the Health Department. Children are excluded from the classroom until they have resumed eating and no longer have diarrhea

  • Blood in stools not explainable by dietary change, medication or hard stools
  • Vomiting illness (two or more episode of vomiting in the previous 24 hours). Children are excluded from classrooms until they have resumed eating and are no longer vomiting
  • Persistent abdominal pain (continues more than 2 hours) or intermittent pain associated with fever or other symptoms
  • Mouth sores with drooling until a physician determines the child is noninfectious
  • Rash with fever or behavioral changes until a physician determines that these symptoms do not indicate a communicable disease
  • Purulent conjunctivitis (pink eye) defined as pink or red conjunctiva with white or yellow eye discharge), until a full 24 hours of antibiotic treatment has been completed
  •   Pediculosis (Head Lice) until child is nit free
  • Scabies, excluded until after treatment has been completed
  • Tuberculosis, until cleared by the Health Department to return to the Child Care Center
  • Impetigo, until 24 hours after treatment has been initiated
  • Strep throat or other streptococcal infections, until 24 hours after initial treatment has been completed
  • Chickenpox until all sores are dried and crusted, usually 6 days. Get Well Care   does not have negative pressure rooms so children cannot be in Get Well Care with chickenpox
  • Pertussis, until Health Department recommendations on returning to child care are met
  •   Mumps, until 9 days after onset of parotid gland swelling
  •   Hepatitis A virus, until physician advises return (written release required)
  •   Measles, until 4 days after onset of rash
  •   Rubella, until 7 days after onset of rash
  •   Any diagnosis of a communicable disease not previously referred to

Sources: 
  • Caring For Our Children National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guideline for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs (second addition)
  • Virginia Department of Health Communicable Disease Reference Chart for School Personnel
  • Standards For Licensed Child Day Centers; Virginia Department of Social Services; January 24, 2005

 
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