DD being sent home from nursery

[Pepper34]

On the weekend of the 19th DD (3) came down with symptoms of hand foot and mouth. I let nursery know that we would keep her off that week and what she had.

Our other two came down with the same (5yo and baby) and eldests school suggested keeping him off that week as its a SEN school and the Early Years groups have alot of close contact and mouth toys etc. That was no problem.

Fast forward to today both children go back to school and nursery, they're completely over it now and the rashes are gone.

20 minutes after DH dropped DD to nursery en route to work I get a call from them asking what illness she was off with last week.

I reminded them that i'd already told them, it was hand foot and mouth.

Nursery assistant replies that they've had a few children off with that recently (that'll be where DD got it from) and that the children who had it aren't allowed back into nursery until the 5th December.

Nobody bothered to tell us that.

The only response I received when telling them DD wouldn't be coming in last week was them saying thanks for letting them know.

AIBU to think this is really shit of them?

It might be worth emailing the local authority early years team to explain that the nursery are denying you access to your funded place on this basis.

Or your local councillor. Sure, they’re a private business. But they’re in receipt of public money to provide a service here.

Even if you're not paying I would make a complaint. She's preventing your DD from attending when there's no reason for her to be off. Also, even though you may not pay what happens if you, or others, rely on those hours as you need to work? You would have to find alternative childcare and pay additional costs when there's absolutely no need to do so.

Hand foot and mouth can spread like wildfire. It can make kids and adults quite poorly. It's not uncommon for childcare settings to exclude for it. As much as the NHS give guidelines, it's up to individual settings to decide what they are comfortable with. It may be that nursery have decided on this exclusion date to give chance for this outbreak to settle and also give them chance to deep clean everything.

As long as they aren't charging parents for this over enthusiastic exclusions then cool- otherwise where does the line get drawn? Off all winter in case someone has a cold? A month after chickenpox in case for some reason it's still contagious? Best have a fortnight off after a sickness bug.

When you sign up to a nursery, you sign up to their policies on illnesses. Some are more extreme than others, but the alternative is to find a new nursery.

It sucks, but that’s the nature of a private setting.

Go see your local councillor! They can be soo helpful with stuff like this. She's taking public funds whilst ignoring nhs advice. Big no no

I've never heard of this policy. 2 weeks absence wasn't even required for covid.

@Guitarbar yes is agree. They shouldn't charge for this.

It's not uncommon for childcare settings to exclude for it.

Sure, but it needs to be in their policy. Is it? It doesn't sound like it! Thr manager can't just make up stuff when it suits her!

It’s worth noting that the rules for locals authorities to reclaim early years finding apply to absences of over two weeks.

it is unlikely to be a coincidence that the manager has decided to exclude your DD for 2 weeks with no genuine public health basis.

My daughters nursery doesn’t even have an exclusion policy for hf&m which I think is ridiculous. She caught it twice in just over a month. YANBU, It’s shitty of them not to let you know

Is there 2 week exclusion in the policies/contract?

Despite NHS advice/recommendation it is very common for childcare settings to exclude for HFM as it is contagious and some can be very ill with it. However, I've not heard of settings excluding after a child has recovered.

No sign of anything about 2 week exclusion policy in the contract no.

That's a very specific exclusion period. Staffing issues I'd say.

When you signed up they should have given you a sickness policy which will include hf&m.
I did hard to exclude for it as otherwise I'd have three sick kids hanging off me.
I treated it like chick pox. Ie a few days after symptoms had gone. It worked well in stopping the spread.

2 weeks exclusion is ridiculous if a child is feeling completely better. As it's a funded place contact your local authority early years team. The nursery may have to make up the hours missed or they will have the funding deducted off them.

Yes I think they are unreasonable to go against public health advice

That's ludicrous. I'm really cautious (vulnerable pre term baby) and have also worked in a school and seen how quickly HFM spreads and how unwell some people get from it. What you did, keeping DD home last week was cautious but appropriate and I'd completely back any nursery asking parents to do that to stop the spread.
But she is completely better, it's a whole week later, and the specific date for all children regardless of when they started with symptoms is nonsensical.

If it's not in the contract/policy I would be complaining to your LA that your child is being denied their funded hours. Childcare settings are not allowed to claim for hours they are refusing a child to use

I wonder what Ofsted's stance would be on this. Might be worth discussing it with them as they also issue guidelines for sickness? It doesn't seem like the nursery is providing a good enough service in this instance.

I'd be asking this too.

As above, our nursery says the children can attend nursery as long as they aren't unwell ie temp, feeling poorly, off food etc.

They are allowed in our nursery with hand foot mouth aslong as they are ok within themselves. I'd be complaining.

This is really shitty because most nurseries don't actually have an exclusion period for hand, foot and mouth disease

Definitely ask to see the written policy and something in writing that explains why the NHS advice is unacceptable. Of course it isn’t, but how are they going against it?

My son had it a few weeks ago and I kept him home until his blisters had scabbed over (which took three days). Two weeks exclusion is really ridiculous. What on earth are they thinking?