Health & Safety
Illness/Injuries
In spite of precautions, accidents and illnesses, major and minor do occur. In either case, injuries or illnesses needing medical treatment deemed by the staff will be rendered. Parents will be notified immediately. If the child needs immediate attention, the center will be responsible for transferring the child to a nearby hospital or to a hospital of the parent’s guardian’s choice. In light of this, it is imperative that the Center maintains emergency information for each child.
Injured Child
An accident form will be completed, and a copy sent to the Department of Health; parents/guardians will receive a copy and the pink copy will remain in the child’s folder. This is strictly accident not incidents. However, incident reports will be kept on file at the Center.
MEDICATION POLICY
Prescription medications, ointments, and creams can be given to children, if needed. Parents are required to fill out the proper forms, and to supply all medications in their original containers. All written instructions shall be valid for six months, unless a shorter time period is designated by the physician, dentist, or parent. These must be labeled with the child’s name. Teachers will not exceed the manufacturer‘s recommended dosage, unless there is a written physician’s note giving instructions when to administer nonprescription medication. The center will not administer nonprescription, oral medication, topical ointments, creams, or lotions. Any non-prescription medicine will have to be administered by a parent.
SYMPTOMS REQUIRING REMOVAL OF CHILD FROM CHILD CARE (no exceptions)
- Communicable Diseases: Not permitted by law in childcare. Some of those illnesses are but are not limited to: Infectious Conjunctivitis (pink eye), Impetigo, Hepatitis A, Scabies, Ringworm, Infectious Diarrhea, Chicken Pox, Scarlet Fever, Lice, Strep Throat. If a child is thought to have a communicable disease, parents will be notified and asked to pick up their child. A child may return to care when he or she is no longer contagious and have a note from his or her physician indicating that the child may return to childcare, and all signs of illness are gone. All other parents, who have children in the classroom of the infected child will be notified of the possibility of a communicable disease and what symptoms are demonstrated.
- Fever: Not permitted. A child needs to be fever free for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to childcare without the aid of any fever reducing substance.
- Diarrhea: Not permitted.
- Vomiting: Not permitted. If a child vomits while at childcare, his or her parent will be expected to come within the hour to pick up the child. The child must stay home until 24 hours have passed with no vomiting episodes.
- Runny Nose & Cough: Children may be brought to the center if they have a common cold (slight occasional cough, clear runny nose, occasional sneezing). Discharge of any color other than clear is not acceptable in childcare. A constant runny nose which needs wiping continually is not acceptable in childcare regardless of the color. Children who have a clear runny nose which lasts longer than a week and parents suspect it may be due to allergies may continue to bring their children to childcare.
- Rashes: Not permitted. Any rash that produces puss or liquids, other than a mild diaper rash, must accompany the child to childcare with a note from the doctor stating it is not contagious, and the rash is not noticeable. Rashes have to be completely gone.
- Runny and/or Crusty Eyes: Not permitted. Watery, matted, and/or red/pink eyes are not acceptable in childcare under any circumstances.
- Excessive Crankiness: If your child is irritable, excessively whining or crying, wants to be constantly held, or requires more attention than the teacher can give, or disrupts the routine of the other children in the classroom may need to be kept home regardless of the presence of other symptoms. If this occurs during childcare hours, parents will be called to pick up their child.
- Lice: Not permitted back to childcare until after the second hair treatment and no nits are present. Children will be inspected by the center teaching staff upon arrival at the center before parents leave.
- 24-hour Rule: Children must be free from any of the previous symptoms for a minimum of 24 hours before parents can return children to center.
Please take the above rules seriously. Parents are encouraged to call the center and ask if they are unsure whether or not they should bring their children. Parents should have a backup plan available in the event their children are ill, and they feel they cannot miss work.
Allergic Reactions
Parents are responsible for informing the Center’s staff in writing of any allergic reaction the child may have to food, liquids, etc. A Doctor’s statement is required to verify allergies to food/liquid items is for the State Department Benefit.