Krabbel & Babbel Health Policy

Child Care Health Policies -Infant/Toddler and Preschool

For everyone’s protection, parents are expected to pick up their child within thirty minutes of being notified of illness symptoms when the child;
• Has a fever and is less than 6 months old.
• Has a fever for more than 72 hours.
• Is excessively cranky, fussy or irritable.
• Is excessively sleepy, lethargic or does not respond.
• Is persistently wheezing or coughing.
• Has a fever and a rash or any other signs of illness that worry you.

Symptoms of Illness
Fever*
What is a normal temperature?
The following chart will tell you if your child has a fever. The normal temperature range varies and depends on the way you took your child’s temperature.
Method Normal temperature range
Rectum 36.6°C to 38°C (97.9°F to 100.4°F)
Mouth 35.5°C to 37.5°C (95.9°F to 99.5°F)
Armpit 34.7°C to 37.3°C (94.5°F to 99.1°F)
Ear 35.8°C to 38°C (96.4°F to 100.4°F)

Protocols
If a child has a fever of 37,5 will not be allowed to enter the school
Children are screened for the following symptoms.
1 dry cough
2 tiredness
3 sore throat
4 runny tummy
5 red eyes
6 headaches
7 lost of taste and smell
8 rash on skin
9 shortness of breath
10 chess pain

The degree (height) of a fever does not tell you how serious your child’s illness is—how your child is acting is usually a better sign. A child with a mild infection can have a high fever, while a child with a severe infection might have no fever at all.
Reasons for taking a temperature
Child exhibits outward signs of illness
Child is flushed, has chills, or feels warmer than usual
Child is irritable or lethargic for a length of time

Because a fever may indicate other health concerns a child must be fever-free, without the use of fever-reducing medicine, for twenty-four hours before returning to child care. Upon return, child must be able to participate in all classroom activities including outdoor play. Twenty-four hour policy is based on fever as described above.
*The child care teacher will determine if a child has a fever and must leave child care.


Vomiting
Child will be sent home if he/she vomits. Child may return to child care the following morning if he has not vomited in the previous eight hours.
If there appears to be blood present in the vomited content, immediate medical attention is necessary.

Cough
Child should be referred for evaluation if he/she has a frequent cough which prevents eating, sleeping, playing or which is accompanied by other illness symptoms.

Rash
Child with an undiagnosed rash will be sent home for any of the following reasons:
Rash is spreading over a period of time Rash is widespread
Rash appears to cause discomfort and/or is accompanied by fever
Rash persists for more than two days
Rash contains or consists of blisters
Rash looks like bleeding under the skin
If symptoms do not improve or worsen, re-valuation may be required
Child will be excluded from child care until a note is received from his/her healthcare provider stating the diagnosis or that he/she is not contagious.

Mouth Sores
A child unable to control his/her saliva or unable to eat or drink due to mouth sores may be excluded from child care unless a healthcare provider states that the child does not have coxsackie virus or some other contagious illness. (See coxsackie virus under Contagious Illnesses.)
Contagious Illnesses

Diarrhoea*
Child will be sent home for diarrhoea that occurs three or more times per day for infants that is not contained by diapers and two or more times per day for toddlers and preschool children that is not contained by diapers or toilet use.
Child may return to childcare when diarrhoea (as described above) has not occurred in the previous eight hours. On the day the child returns, if one such stool occurs, he/she will be excluded from child care.
If there appears to be blood present in the stool, immediate medical attention is necessary.
Diarrhoea of two weeks’ duration is an indication for medical evaluation, and a note from a healthcare provider will be required for continued attendance.
*All diarrhoea is a health concern in the classroom.

Cold
Child may be sent home with any of the following symptoms or complaints:
Nasal congestion/runny nose
Chills
Postnasal drip/sore throat
Red, watery eyes
Neck, head, muscle aches
Sneezing
Cough/hoarseness
Breathing difficulty
Listlessness/loss of appetite
Fever
Profuse or yellow-green nasal discharge
Ear drainage

Coxsackie Virus
Although there is debate surrounding this issue, a diagnosis of coxsackie virus by the child’s healthcare provider requires exclusion from child care until mouth lesions are resolved, child can eat and drink, and has been fever free for twenty-four hours without the use of fever reducing medication. Lesions on the hands and feet are not reasons for exclusion, but lesions which are not dried up must be kept covered.

Herpes Virus
A diagnosis of herpes requires exclusion from child care until lesions appear dried and no longer active (indicating they are non-contagious) or can be covered by a bandage. The recurrent nature of herpes makes it necessary for the child care centres to follow these guidelines with each successive episode.

Impetigo
Child may return following twenty-four hours of treatment (may include topical or oral). Draining lesions should be covered with a bandage (i.e., Band-Aid).

Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
Child will be sent home if either eye is draining cloudy or has coloured discharge.
Child may return to child care when:
He/she has been on antibiotics for twenty-four hours, or
He/she is accompanied by a doctor’s note stating that the drainage is caused by a non-contagious condition (such as a blocked tear duct).

If the child returns to child care and symptoms do not improve or should worsen, re-evaluation may be required.

Ringworm/Tinea
Child may return to child care after one treatment as long as lesions can be kept covered by clothing or bandage for one day.

Roseola
Child may return to child care when fever is gone and child has a doctor’s note stating that he/she has resolving roseola and is not contagious.

Strep Throat
Child must be on an antibiotic for twenty-four hours before returning to child care. Child must feel well enough to eat, drink, and participate in all classroom activities.

Thrush
Child may return to child care after one treatment, as long as the child is able to eat, drink, and participate in all classroom activities.

Chicken Pox
Child may return to childcare after seven days from the onset of the rash or when all lesions are crusted over.

Lice
Child may return to child care when nits (eggs) can no longer be found on the child by the child care staff.

Additional Information
"Out-of-Sorts" Children
Child will be sent home for a change in behaviour that severely limits the attention that other children could and should be receiving, i.e., requires constant holding and attention, inconsolable crying for a long period of time, etc. Child should feel well enough to participate in all classroom activities, including outdoor play.

Administration of Medicine
Fever-reducing and anti-diarrhea medicines will not be administered by parents or teachers while children are in childcare.
All over-the-counter medicines will be administered by parents ONLY.
Teachers can administer prescription drugs.
Prescription drugs must remain in their original container and be accompanied by a permission note from the parent.
Teachers must administer the medication as stated on the container unless the medication is accompanied by a physician’s note.
Parents will be required to send a proper measuring utensil with the child’s medicine.


Thank you for your support!


M.J.C LUYT
Principal/Director