Sick Child Policy

What signs should I watch for to see if my sick kid should stay home from activities? Ask yourself these questions.

• Does your child feel well enough to comfortably participate in the activities? A sick kid who is lethargic, whiny, irritable, almost continuously crying, and/or requires constant attention would probably be happier resting at home.
• Did the doctor diagnose a contagious illness that should keep your sick kid at home? Illnesses such as pink eye, scabies, head lice, impetigo, strep infection, whooping cough, and chicken pox are highly contagious. In this case, your child should remain home and separate from other children until the risk of passing on the illness has passed.
• It is important that parents enact the Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) in that if you wouldn't want your kid playing with a sick kid that exhibits certain illnesses, then the same holds true for them as well.

One way to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases among our families is to establish and firmly enforce a written "exclusion for illness" policy. The easiest policy to follow and to enforce is one based on visual evidence of symptoms.

1. If your child has a fever (100°F underarm; 101°F oral or 102°F rectal),  or exhibits behavior changes or other signs that your child does not feel well enough to participate comfortably in the daily activities.  All babies less than 4 months of age with a temperature of 101, or higher, should seek medical attention.  Please keep your child home until his/her behavior returns to normal.
2. If your child has had diarrhea in the past 24 hours, keep your child at home until the child has been diarrhea-free for 24 hours or stools are formed enough that they are contained in the diaper.  Potty trained children should be accident-free for one day.
3. If your child is vomiting, please keep your child home for up to 24 hours after the vomiting has ended.
4. If your child has a runny nose, accompanied by fever and crankiness or difficulty breathing, please keep your child home until the child is acting better and fever free.
5. If your child is experiencing itchy, watery eyes and/or eye discharge (thick mucus or pus draining from eye, or pink eye) (often symptoms of pink eye), please keep your child home until the condition has been evaluated and treatment has begun.
6. If your child is exhibits an unexplained skin rash, please keep your child home until the condition has been evaluated and treated.
7. If your child has a sore throat with fever and swollen glands, or severe coughing (child gets red or blue in the face and makes a high-pitched whoop after cough), please keep your child home until the child is acting better and fever free.
8. If your child appears to have yellowish skin or eyes, please keep your child home until the condition has been evaluated and treatment has begun.

As parents, use your best judgment in determining your child's health.  Please take your child seriously when he/she says they are not feeling well. As a general rule, if your child is not up to par due to illness, please keep your child at home.

NOTE: If your child arrives at class with any of the above symptoms, or manifests them during class, please be aware that you will be asked to take your child home.

Thank you,

UUFR YRE Committee