Sickness, Illness & Infectious Diseases Policy
We strive to keep children safe when they are in our care; promote good health and take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection within my setting. I will discuss with the parents during the settling-in period the arrangements for the exclusion of a child should they become ill whilst in my setting and will keep a record of the arrangement agreed.
We appreciate that as a working parent you need to be able to go to work, however if your child is unwell then they will be better cared for in their own home with their parents. We are happy to care for children with minor coughs and colds but will not care for children who are very unwell, infectious or running a high temperature. I have to consider the welfare of all the children in my care as well as myself and my family.
Please consider the implications of knowingly bringing a sick child to my setting. If we become unwell as a result and have to close the setting, this impacts all the other children we care for and their parents. In addition to this, as a self-employed person, if we don’t work, we don’t earn and we have bills to pay like you do.
As set by The Public Health Agency, if your child has had diarrhea or sickness in the last 48 hours please do not bring them in, but please let me know they will not be attending, they are welcome back to the setting 48 hours after the last episode of sickness or diarrhea.
If your child becomes ill whilst in my care, I will make them as comfortable as possible, isolate them from the other children if necessary and reassure them. I will contact you immediately and continue to care for your child until you arrive.
All children in my setting who are excluded due to having an illness or an infectious disease will not be allowed to return until they have been free from illness for 48 hours. I reserve the right to act on advice from the NHS or the Health Protection Agency regarding an infectious illness. I will not accept a child with any of the following conditions;
- Conjunctivitis- until eyes have stopped weeping
- Hand foot and mouth- until all blisters have healed
- Impetigo- until all lesions are healed or 48 hours after commencing antibiotic treatment
- Measles- 4 days after rash
- Meningitis- once child has been treated and feeling better
- Mumps- return 5 days after swelling if well
- Ring worm -48 hours after treatment commenced
- Scabies- excluded until after first treatment has been carried out
- Scarlet Fever-return after 48 hours of commencing antibiotic treatment, if no antibiotics child will be infectious for 2/3 week
- Whooping Cough- return after 48 hours of treatment
- Croup- return after 24 hours if hospital treatment was needed eg steroids
- Chicken pox- until all spots have scabbed over
All of the above are excludable from our setting. This is in order to minimize the risk of the transmission of an infection to other children, myself or members of my household.
If I believe a child in my setting is suffering from a notifiable disease, identified as such in the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988, I will act on advice given by the Health Protection Agency and inform Ofsted of any action taken.
I am happy to administer medication provided by you, please see my Medicine Policy.
I am happy to work when I have minor ailments such as colds etc. However, I will not work if I have sickness or diarrhoea or any other highly contagious infection listed above. Continuing to work would only result in a further spreading of the infection and I would be unable to provide your child with the care they deserve.
If I am unable to work on a contracted day, I will make contact with you the night before or in the morning as early as possible to advise you that I will be unable to care for your child.
I will also contact you if one of my own children is not well, inform you of the illness/symptoms and if I am able to work. This then allows you to make an informed decision as to whether to bring your child or not, if you require emergency childcare I can provide you with the details of my back-up childminders.
These childminders; their homes and the children they care for are known to your child. They are happy to care for your child whilst I am unwell, providing it doesn’t take them over their registered numbers. If you wish to meet with them beforehand, please let me know. I do not charge if I am unable to work through illness and my back-up childminders will charge you at our agreed rate for the day(s) they cover.
Policy Created 11.2.18
Review Date 1.1.2022