Help from fellow CM's please

[Borntobeamum]

Last week, 4 kiddies have all been poorly. One with tonsillitis, one with Conjunctivitis, one with an ear infection and one a sickness bug/rash. 2 are absolutely fine and not been ill at all.

I have a private FB page and these parents have all been updating everyone on there, but the general census of opinion, or maybe I'm just reading too much into it, it poor babies, they're all ill, how awful etc
I want to put a message on reminding them of my sickness policy and to please make sure their child is 100% fit before returning.
All these poorly children go to soft play places at the weekend with parents and 2 are with gp's for part of the week too who take them to toddler groups.

I'm feeling as though they are all pointing the finger at me! However if they kept their child off when illness was starting, maybe they would have contained it, IF it has been spread at my setting.
Any ideas how to word this please? X

Sickness bug is the only one who needed to be kept home, and the others all have different things so haven't spread them to each other. It would be different if sickness bug had been sent in and then everyone else got it.

The ones with tonsillitis and ear infection were all spiking high temps of 39.6 and were lethargic and very wittery and needed to be kept home.

Did you send them home? I would have told the parents that they are not well enough to be in the setting if they arrived like that.

Maybe you could do a post on your FB page stating the rules for sickness and your policy info.

You want them to both keep the child off when the illness is first starting, and to stay off until they are 100% fit? The kind of parent you want to use your service is called a SAHP!

I sent them home as soon as the temp started to rise. (As usual, around 3-4 hours after the dose of Calpol they'd been given prior to arrival.

I really want to say that if they'd kept them off originally, there's no chance of anything passing from one to another.

I place a great deal of importance on hygiene etc and am offended that they seem to think they've all become unwell at my setting.

Are you sure they are pointing finger at you? That would be daft of them. It is natural to be upset when your lo is ill, that's not the same as blaming anyone.

It's a difficult situation I would say something along the lines of, "as the children have been so unwell I am concerned that whilst they may seem better they may still be run down and if they return too soon they may become ill again very quickly". If a parent still brings child in and they aren't 100% all you can do is send them home!!

Thank you JeanGenie23 for your helpful post! X

Hairyfecker - on Friday, parents brought the 11minth old saying he'd been up a lot in the night and was tearful.
By 11am, his temp was 38.6, he was lethargic, and pulling his ear.
I rang mum, who had taken the day off and was at home. She said he'd had calpol at 9pm, 3am and 7am before coming to me at 7.30.
In my opinion, she knew he wasn't well.

Yes she obviously did. And she was at home?

I've had a few poorly children recently one boy was sent home early on three consecutive days last week. I had to just gently point out if my DD became ill or even myself, then I would close in a second so it's best they don't just bring them in and hope for the best.

I do sometimes feel like a doctors surgery, but I like to be flexible and I think it's part of the service, occasionally looking after little ones when they are groggy, something which nurseries can't/won't do. However there is a line, temperatures and sickness &diahorrea are a no no

Yes mum was at home.
I absolutely hate sending children home, and have sat nursing poorly babies until the parents collected. I think I must be pretty immune by now.
I think I'll put a message on my private page saying please consider everyone when sending children who are not well.

I think you also need to remind parents that they have an obligation to tell you if their child has had medication in the 24 hours prior to their arrival with you (if this isn't in your policies then add one and get them to sign - what if a child had e.g. meningitis and you told the ambulance staff they'd had no medication that day?!). Then you could have been pre-warned about the dosed up child!

The illnesses are all not interlinked - tho I did think conjunctivitis was catching so should stay away till eyes cleared up

But different schools nurseries have diff policies

If obvious poorly ie ear infection and tonsillitis and having calpol to reduce temp then wrong of parents to bring to you

Agree put on FB that sorry they are ill bit relitarate your polices about ill children and remind them of you /your children get anything that you wil close so all poorly children shouldn't come to you

And yes def have something about if they have had medication before coming to you

A child who had 3 doses of calpol throughout the night is too poorly imo to be at a cm

Different if have a nanny

I wouldn't outright comment on the illnesses now but say taking the opportunity to remind everyone of my sickness and medication policies....include it is important that I am always made aware of any periods of being off colour and especially if given any medication in the previous 24 hours so that should I have to call 999 I will have the full medical history to enable medical professionals to make the correct diagnosis and give the appropriate treatment.

Parents too often think that this is about turning children away so its good to be clear that sometimes emergency's happen.

I would always expect a child who has been ill overnight with repeated does of calpol for unexplained fever to be kept at home as regulations state that we must be able to care for all children and minimise infection, a repeated high temperature is a sign of illness that may be infectious either bacterial or viral and could turn into convulsions or worse. If a child has been up all night they are too ill to be at school or in daycare.

Parents are quick to blame the setting when their child becomes ill and child has to be sent home but it is ok to mask the symptoms with calpol etc so that they can bring their own when it suits.

I definitely would not comment on Facebook. This happens with small children and happened before you had Facebook. Deal with it face to face.

Please don't deal with this via Facebook! You may well have got hold of the wrong end of the stick and they're not blaming you at all. Anyway it is the case that children in childcare pick up a lot of stuff before their immune systems catch up! It's nobody's fault.

I think it would be a good opportunity to take a look at your sickness policy, revise if needed and make sure all parents have a copy. Do it face to face or individually though so that they aren't also feeling got at!