In assessing a child’s wellness and ability to participate and remain at a program staff must take into consideration a number of factors including:
1) the risk of spreading of illness
2) the child’s ability to participate comfortably in the program.
Staff shall make a log entry if there is any change in the health or wellbeing of a child during the day. Staff may use their judgment and may consult with the Supervisor and decide to call a parent to inform them of their child’s health or to ask the child to be picked up. Staff will ensure children are separated from other children when illness is suspected. It is the responsibility of the staff to decide if the child is to be picked up or not and be clear in their expectation to the parent.
The following is a list of symptoms/illness where a child may be sent home:
1. Fever 38C or higher
2. Diarrhea and/or vomiting
3. Undiagnosed rash
4. Communicable diseases
5. Persistent pain
6. Head Lice
7. Cough – with or without infected discharge
8. Seizure
9. Difficult or rapid breathing
10. Runny nose
11. Yellowish skin or eyes
12. Redness of eyelid lining
13. Rashes that have symptoms consistent with known viral illnesses, other infections or are potentially contagious must be kept out of care until they have resolved
14. Infected skin patches
15. Unusually dark, tea coloured urine
16. Grey or white stool
17. Headache and stiff neck
18. Unusual behaviour
19. Loss of appetite
20. Severe itching
21. Pain
22. Sore throat or trouble swallowing
23. Bowel Movement white in colour ( recommend to guardian/parent to proceed to hospital emergency department immediately)
Staff will make a note in the room’s daily log. In the event that a child has been sent home they are not to return to the program until:
• A note from a medical doctor states they are well enough to return to the program AND are not contagious
• OR They have been on a medication for 24 hours and are no longer deemed contagious
• OR Are symptom free/symptom improved and at the discretion of administration.
Children must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication.
Gastro symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea require exclusion for 24 hours in the case of one episode in one child of either symptom. The exclusion period is 48 hours if the child has multiple events of either symptom, or if more than one child in the center is experiencing the same type of symptom.
In the event that a child has a fever alongside the gastro event, it is automatically 48 hours removal.
Parents are to be contacted and encouraged to arrive to the program promptly. In the event that parents cannot be contacted emergency contacts will be phoned. If the illness develops into that of a serious nature, the Serious Occurrence procedure must be followed.
