Childminder - Do you care for really sick children or do you only take them with minor illnesses like a cold?

[Nova26]

Not looking for a right or wrong answer but really curious as to how other childminders who work from their own home in particular deal with the sickness issues that arise.
Would you take a child with a temperature? Flu? a baby who has vomiting loose bowels?
Would love some feedback on it.
Nova

I follow the HPA guidelines, vomiting / loose bowels 48 hour exclusion.

Pretty much anything more serious that a cold and they can't attend.

No!! i have myself, my family and other mindees to think about/
would take a child with a snotty nose or cough but nothing else. A sick child should be at home with its parent.

Thats not to say i don't have parents try it on, bringing sick children and not letting me know but i will always send home. I have a 48 hour exclusion policy too.

I agree with glen ... although I have had all parents agree to fighting through a chicken pox outbreak once. If the child is ill, they pass it on to other children, or they pass it on to me and then I have to close.

Really appreciate all the replies and I know now I am not being unreasonable in my own policy.

Reetpetit 'The trying it on ' is exactly my issue...

i find the best thing for the ones who try it on, is to call them to collect fairly soon after they've left, as soon as I realise the child is ill - it embarasses them and makes them wonder why they bothered to bring the child in the first place!! i've even had parents bring sick children when they were both at home or sitting in a coffee shop!! weird behaviour. personally, i would want my sick child at home with me.

Reetpetit I wont post full event here just incase the mum is a fellow MNer... But I have had to resign this week from working with a family over this...
Really odd behaviour I agree but unfortunately no embarrassement on their part for sending their children very ill.
I just wanted to see if my policy is in line with other CM.

some parents amaze me Nova - good for you - i think once the trust is broken like that it is very, very hard to go back. It shows no respect for us or our families so i think you have done the right thing

hpa guidance on infection control

I agree completely. They sent their eldest a few weeks before xmas with croup , never breathed a word untill my little lad ended up on steroids for it and they then admitted it!
Another occassion sent the child on a schoolday but instructed me to keep him at home because temperature was almost 39C and was sleepy and bot eating etc so I obliged thinking again it was a maybe once off.

Fast forward 4 weeks later and they sent the youngest with loose bowels and temperature for 3 days saying it was teething although I pointed out a very gastric nappy but as it is there child I took their word because in most cases parents know best and sometimes teething can bring a temperature also but as I know the children a while I did suggest getting it seen to if it contnued as the baby was very aggitated and warm ( I know my own child and they know theirs so I trust parents opinions and respect them 100%)

But as it turns out the baby had an awful unusual flu (I was not given details) and was off food for a week , vomiting up liquids and had to be syringe fed the fluid and they were suggesting I was unreasonable for not taking the child in this condition!?
I am very sad to lose them as I and my own son bonded with the children and treated them like part of the family but something had to give as we all keep getting catching their sickness.!

Thank you Ilovepowerhoop.

that's awful. they should be ashamed of themselves - terrible for you and your family and also completely unfair on their children!!

You've definately done the right thing, don't feel bad about it.

I feel a little bad.
I suppose when children are with you a long time it can be very difficult making the decision.

But I have had issues involving so many things, this had to be the way!