Please help...fellow mindee with conjunctivitis!

[amanda25]

Ok...my DS has conjuctivitis. I called my CM to tell her that he'd be off (he's only part-time) and she told me not to bother keeping him off for conjunctivitis as her other mindee 'has it all the time' and he has it at the moment and his parents are no good at giving him the medicine balh blah blah and that's where my DS picked it up.

I am really annoyed. I thought that CMs could not have kids with infectious conditions. What can I do? What should my CM do?

She shouldn't be having a child with an infectious disease! She should have explained to the other parent that she can't have her child because of possible infection to the other child, which is axactly what's happened.

I would be mighty hacked of if my dd caught it from the childminders and the cm told me what she's just told you!

Your cm should be telling this parent to keep the child off until the infection has cleared up.

Can I insist that the other mindee stay off? It's not really up to me is it? Will I have to inspect the childs eye everytime I drop off my DS?

I would also consider not paying her for today, even if you are keeping him off. She SHOULD have kept the other child away! This is so wrong! I can't believe she was so blase about the other child always having it!

a childminder should refuse to look after any child with conjuctivitis, i would state that you won't be able to send your ds until the other child has it cleared up, meaning your childminder should not have the other child in her home, you could also report your childminder for infection control

What does your contract say about infectious diseases? I assume that everyone in her care has the same terms?

Yes, she has a clause in the contract that the child can not attend with an infectious condition.

The other parents, according to her, are not very responsive. Their play group has not said he can't attend so they think he can attend hers and she has not disabused them of this idea.

I think to ask for the money for the days he will miss will cause problems as she has said he can attend. It's me not wanting him to attend wit hthe other kid there. Which is reasonalbe isn't it? Why should my DS have to be exposd to something?

Fine if she doesn't have other mindees to look after. I had a mindee with conjunctivitis once, I allowed her to come to me, but only because I didn't have any other children for the rest of that week. She should have informed you and any other parents that your children were being exposed to an infectious desease! She really is very out of order. In effect, she has knowingly spread desease.

The only reason these parents think its ok for him to attend the CM, is before your cm has let him. If it was me, I would have refered them to my terms and conditions immediately.

Sorry, getting cross on your behalf and my spelling is rubbish!

That is shocking - doesn't your cm have kids of her own? I am very strict on my sickness polcy as if ds or I are ill everyone loses out as i have to shut shop! As a parent in your situation I would be angry too, and can't understand why the cm hasn't told the mindees parents their child could not attend. I bet if she had they would have treated him thoroughly and ensured it cleared up. I wouldn't pay her as she has breached contract by exposing your ds t an infectious child knowingly.

I'm a CM and totally agree with others - deffo don't pay - you're sticking to HER policy, she's not!!! I personally have a list of individual infectious diseases etc. so it's clear for each thing.