Sick Policy

Health and safety

It is inevitable that children will get sick in any childcare/school setting. As caregivers for your child, it is our responsibility to monitor the well-being of each child in our care. Children who are ill with a communicable illness or fever may not attend school until they have been symptom free for a period of no less than 24 hours without medication. Also, it is very important that all emergency information be kept up to date so you can be reached in the event your child becomes ill. We ask parents to assist by keeping sick children at home. We do take into consideration your physician’s recommendations, nevertheless it is up to our discretion when your child may return to school. Please do not bring your child if they show any of these symptoms, a child with any of the following will need to be picked up from preschool within an hour of notification.

• A fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher

• An illness which prevents the child from participating in the daily routine or activities planned in a comfortable manner

• Impetigo

• Scabies, head lice, or other infestation, until 24 hours after treatment has begun and all nits are removed

• Rash with fever, or behavior change, until a health care professional has determined that the symptoms are not contagious (doctors note required)

• Purulent conjunctivitis (pink eye), or excessive white or yellow discharge from the eyes, until 24 hours after the treatment has begun, and discharge does not continue.

• Mouth sores, unless a health care professional determines the condition is non-infectious

• Strep throat, until 24 hours after the treatment has begun and only if the child is fever free

• Chicken pox, until 6 days after the onset of rash or until all the sores have scabbed over and no new ones have appeared

• Mumps, until 9 days after the onset of parotid gland swelling

• Measles or Rubella, until 6 days after the onset of the rash

• Shingles, until a health care professional states the child may return to group care

• Hand foot mouth disease, until lesions are scabbed over and no longer visible

• Tuberculosis, until a health care professional states the child may return to group care

• Diarrhea three times over 2 hours. Or any diarrhea that is too loose to be contained in a child’s diaper

• Vomiting, until 24 hours symptom free, without medication

• Profuse colored nasal discharge

• Symptoms of severe illness such as being lethargic, uncontrolled coughing, irritability, or ongoing difficulty with breathing

Children must be symptom free for a period of 24 hours before returning to school. Please notify the school director if your child becomes infected with any contagious disease. The list of communicable diseases can be found at https://www.powayusd.com/apps/pages/health-services -this will ensure the safety of all the children in our care and gives us possible symptoms to watch for in other children. In the event of a critical illness or injury, 911 will be called. Our staff is trained in CPR and first aid and will administer as needed and will contact parents immediately upon doing so.

If there is ever a situation where you know you cannot be reached, for whatever the reason, please make sure you provide us with the name and phone number of another person that can be contacted. In the event a child becomes ill and needs to be picked up, the parent(s) will be called and are expected to come pick the child up within one hour. If the parent(s) cannot be reached, or have not arrived within an hour, the emergency contact person will be called and asked to come pick the child up.