Dear CMs, what is your policy regarding conjuctivitis?

[blueberryupsidedown]

One of my looked after children has conjuctivitis, she is being treated for it and GP said it's not contageous 24 hours from when the child starts having drops. But I can see that's it's still sticky and parent asked me to wipe the eyes with boiled water/cotton wool. Just wondered what's your policy and what would you do?

Thanks!

As long as they've sought treatment, if they can join in ok I would take them back after 24 hours.

Not a childminder and you probably already know this but just in case you dont, use one piece of cotton wool per eye so as not to transfer the infection. Wash your hands after doing this and give this child a seperate hand towel.

Hi. The health protection agency says children shouldn't be excluded from Childcare settings/ schools because of conjunctivitis. On this basis when one of my mindees had it, I accepted her, but even though she was being treated it was really painful for her and she spent most of the days with it upset and grumpy, with the parents saying that it was being treated and there was nothing more they could do. So a pretty miserable time for all concerned really. Keep treating as they have asked and make sure everyone keeps their hands washed.

Thanks!

I have a policy that says if a child can't take part in our normal activities, they can't come. We can't go to toddlers etc with a child with conjunctivitis, so they stay home. I did this because once it was passed around several children, their parents weren't happy and we were stuck home for ages.

i exclude for 48 hours for this. i couldn't/wouldn't go to groups with a child with sticky eyes so therefore would exclude as it would effect my other mindees and myself and my family could become infected - the knock on effect of that as we all know is no work and no childcare for the families we work with!
i don't think it's your responsibility to be wiping gunky eyes either tbh.

When I was minding I excluded for this as it's what the majority of parents wanted. I use the HPA chart as guidelines but parents all know that this is one thing I choose to exclude for as highly infectious.

I also have in my policies that I exclude for anything where the child is unable to participate in normal activities so for a child upset with it, they'd be at home anyway

I copied looney .

I exclude for this as contagious and sticky and the child cannot join in. I cannot be giving oodles more attention to a poorly child

Not a cm but I use one! Her policy is she will take as long as being treated.
The thing is my kids 9 times out of 10 get sticky eyes when they get a cold ( fairly regularly ) which clears up in a few days of its own accord .
Because she has minded my dc since my first was 2 ( now 7)she knows this so just keeps an eye on them for me.