When To Keep Your Child Home From Child Care
You have your young child in a child care for a reason, and usually that reason is so you can work. Young children tend to get colds and other common illnesses often, and this means if you took time off work every time your child had the sniffles, you may very well lose your job. However, you also don't want to take your child to child care when they are sick with something nasty that's going to spread through the child care center and get all the other kids sick. This is why it's important to know when you should and shouldn't take your child to child care when they aren't feeling well. Here are some guidelines you may want to follow:
Always keep your child home when they have an undiagnosed rash
If your child suddenly has an undiagnosed rash, then it is very important for you to keep them home. You should also call the doctor and get them in as soon as they can fit them in. Some rashes can be very contagious and can mean the child has something that can last for a good length of time, such as chicken pox. Your child's doctor will let you know when your child can go back to child care without being a risk to the other children. You may want to have them write a note for you to show the child care center as well.
Don't take your child to child care if they have vomited in the last 24 hours
When a child is still actively vomiting (vomiting in the last 24 hours) then it usually means they are still contagious. Once your child hasn't vomited for 24 hours, you should be fine sending them back to child care, as long as they don't have any other symptoms that you should keep them home for.
Don't take your child to child care if they are green
If your child is coughing up green phlegm or they have a runny nose that is producing green snot, then you should keep them home and even take them in to see the doctor. Green usually signifies infection, and infections are usually contagious. Sometimes, medication such as antibiotics may be given to help clear up the infection, but sometimes they are bacterial, and antibiotics won't help. Your child's doctor will know whether to give them these medications or not.