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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

CM club conjunctivitis

30 replies

Mum2twolovelyboys · 18/02/2011 10:11

Need to take a look at my policies over half term. What is your policy (if you have one) on the above health problem. I have a young mindee who is suffering with this the last couple of days. Im not sure if you can exclude for this.

OP posts:

BoysAreLikeDogs · 18/02/2011 10:18

HPA guidance says don't exclude for conjunctivitis BUT IME conjunctivitis often goes hand in hand with a really horrid cold; if the child is too ill to participate in normal activities then they don't come

HTH

Strix · 18/02/2011 10:48

Conjunctivitis is very contageous. As a parent, I think it is fair to send that child home. (if that is allowed in your sick policy) I have just signed a contract with a childminder and anything contageous is reason to be sent home (although not the common cold).

KatyMac · 18/02/2011 11:49

HPA said that we couldn't exclude as we would be open to claims for loss of earnings if the parent decided to sue as it is not an 'excludable' illness

minderjinx · 18/02/2011 12:07

If you have a policy which all parents sign up to which says any child with conjunctivitis will be excluded, I fail to see how anyone could sue. HPA have no jurisdiction in my home! ...and I would also close if one of my children got it - I can't see how anyone could force me to stay open (or that anyone would want to send their own children to catch it)

dribbleface · 18/02/2011 13:31

As a nursery we do exclude, from my memory HPA guidlines say no exclusion necessary but might be needed fo an outbreak. In my opinion one case in an a nursery does lead to an outbreak.

Original poster

Mum2twolovelyboys · 18/02/2011 13:46

Thank you ladies. It can be a difficult situation with parents. I feel a policy at my setting is required. I have my 15m at home and mindee who is a little older. They always share colds which is to be expected, but sharing conjunctivitis is another thing altogether. I don't want to be unreasonable so for this reason I have sought your advice. It's half term next week and I'm not working so hopefully the problem will pass without anyone at my setting catching it.

OP posts:

StarExpat · 18/02/2011 14:49

I recently had conjunctivitis. When I discovered it at work (teacher), I showed my head and she said not to worry because it's not longer something they exclude for... So I could not reasonably call in "sick" the next day (I never do anyway, unless DS is ill). But the parents probably weren't loving it. I did control it, though, with medicine. And vigilantly hand washed and kept hands away from eyes. But I'm an adult. I don't see how it would be possible to expect this of a child. I don't understand why it's not excludable.

onceinabluemoon · 18/02/2011 14:51

I exclude too. I'm allergic to the antibiotics used to treat it so if I caught it from mindees I would have to close for about a week while my eyes got better which would inconvenience all families.

All parents are especially made a ware of this when they sign contracts

onceinabluemoon · 18/02/2011 14:52

aware, not a ware...

looneytune · 18/02/2011 16:27

Another CM here who DOES exclude for this reason and all parents know HPA say no need but it's up to ME what I choose to do and if a parent signs agreeing to that, they can't sue me!

underpaidandoverworked · 18/02/2011 17:03

Agree with Looney, I'm prone to it because of existing eye condition and if I catch it I cant drive and therefore cant get own DS to school!

How can something so contagious not be excludable????

looneytune · 18/02/2011 17:07

It's STUPID isn't it. I mean, it's one thing an older child being told not to touch, be careful etc. but how on earth do you stop a baby/toddler from snogging another child etc.! No but seriously, it's soooo infectious and so horrible, none of my parents wanted me to allow it (I did an email asking for feedback once this rule changed). Honestly, no way can I be sued if the parent signs for that actual condition! Anyway, a child with this usually falls under the 'not well enough to take part in usual activities'. I'll never forget when ds1 had this when he was younger, woke up screaming and scared because his eye was stuck together. It's horrible!

underpaidandoverworked · 18/02/2011 17:30

When I - briefly - worked in the playgroup, I caught it a few times from the kids (dont get me started on why I caught it!!) - and on one occasion they docked my pay because it was 'no longer excludable'and therefore I had no reason to not go into work!!!!! I couldn't see, eyes gunked up, therefore couldnt drive the 10 miles to get there......had already shown commitment by travelling 2.5 hrs on public transport in snow to get there for a 4 hour shift!

TBH, since DH had pneumonia - and almost died - last year, if a child turns up with a really bad cold and is obviously so under the weather they should be at home with parents, I exclude now, whereas in the past I would have just got on with it.

MrsTumbles · 18/02/2011 17:41

The nursery I send DD to is part of a large group and they have a policy that says children with conjunctivitis have to be kept away until the infection is gone. If a large group can have this in their policy I don't see why you cannot

HSMM · 18/02/2011 18:31

I don't exclude, but we do not go to any toddler groups or anything if a child has it. Parents know this and often don't send their children, because they know how easily it could spread to the other mindees and that all the children will have activities restricted.

looneytune · 18/02/2011 18:36

HSMM - do the parents of the children who are well mind that you don't go out for this reason? Just curious as my policy states that if a child isn't well enough to participate in normal activities/routines then they can't come as it's not fair on other children. Having said that, I guess it's a bit easier for you as you don't do school/nursery runs?

HSMM · 18/02/2011 18:41

In theory they are well enough to do all our normal activities, I just don't think I would be very popular going to a toddler group with a child with conjunctivitis.

I have considered writing it into my policies (it's on the list!)

looneytune · 18/02/2011 19:13

No, you're definitely not going to be popular going to groups with it! . You've obviously been lucky with it as my experience of children with this is that they are upset by it, keep needing it bathing. But if they're ok with it then you can of course do other stuff so that's fine :)

Original poster

Mum2twolovelyboys · 18/02/2011 19:31

Mindee today was upset with it and I had to bathe both eyes a few times. I have overlooked it on this occasion due to recent circumstances where I've had to take a lot of time off for my own kids who had flu and parents were very understanding. We really have been going through illness after illness since xmas. I'm so glad it's half term and I can shut my doors for a while.

OP posts:

leeloo1 · 18/02/2011 20:59

I exclude for it. I've had the situation this week and was thanking my lucky stars I'd got a policy on it, as the child in question is only 1, but is very mobile and into everything. I just didn't see how I'd be able to follow him round disinfecting everything he'd rubbed his eyes and then touched.

The mum was not happy about it, but then I don't think she'd be happy if I got it and had to close - or if I'd let another mindee come with it and infect her child...

Tanith · 18/02/2011 21:02

HPA's attitude seems to be that, by the time the child is showing symptoms, it's a waste of time to exclude because they've all been exposed. Incredibly, there is also no exclusion for hand, foot and mouth (also very contagious) and dysentry!

HPA's guidelines or not, no child with conjunctivitis, hand foot and mouth or dysentry is passing my threshold - not if I know about it!

sleeplessinderbyshire · 18/02/2011 22:25

why do you exclude? i understand other kids might catch it bt frankly who cares? It is a minor self limiting viral illness (the chemist will sell you antibiotic drops but they are unecessary in the vast majority of cases - interesting paper in the British Jornal of General Pratice in 2006 showed that the majority of cases settle in 4 days with bathing with cool water and no drops)

Thank goodnes my DD goes to a nrsery where they follow HPA advice for this stuff as I'd be driven crazy by her being sent home with a bit of eye snot (fair enogh if she's properly ill but that's a totally different story)

Tanith · 18/02/2011 22:33

I had conjunctivitis over Christmas. It's extremely unpleasant and can be quite serious for those wearing contact lenses. As BALD says, it's often part of a very bad cold.

You might not care about the other kids catching it, but I can assure you that the parents of those other kids get pretty annoyed about it.

LindenLea · 18/02/2011 23:03

Thank goodness my DD goes to a childminder who excludes for this stuff so he's not always catching one ailment after another.

Karoleann · 19/02/2011 08:57

sleeplessinderbyshire - most viral cases are linked with an upper respiratory tract infection (like a cold) so of course antibiotic drops won't do anything.
Bacterial conjunctivitis which is usually the really sticky, gunky one can be treated with antibiotics, although you're right to say that MOST cases clear up without them, there can be serious complications including corneal infections - which can lead to scaring of the cornea.
I'm an Optometrist (not a CM), bizarrely DC's nursery on exclude for conjunctivitis if its not being treated - which makes no difference to how infectious it is.
As a parent, they should be excluded for a nasty bout of bacterial (which can last around 4 days), but not a mild allergic or viral (which can last weeks).
The parents can always see the G.P.

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