Learning About Childcare Options

Chances are if your toddler becomes ill, not only does he have to stay home from school, you have to stay home as well. The loss of income can be damaging to your pocketbook if the day off is unpaid. Sickness happens, but if it's happening all the time, there may be a problem with illnesses spreading throughout your child's preschool. There can be ways to prevent the spread of infections and illnesses. See below for some helpful information.

Sickness Policy

You should check into the sickness policy at your child's daycare or preschool to find out what it entails.

• Immunizations. Are immunization records kept at the facility for every child? If so, what immunizations are required for each child? Immunizations are in place to help prevent the spread of diseases and infections. Not all parents get their children immunized, which could become an issue if there is an outbreak. 
• Illnesses. Children should be kept home if they are experiencing diarrhea, a fever of 100^oF or above, or vomiting. Also, if your child is irritable, is experiencing excessive crying, increased tiredness, or coughing due to illness symptoms, they should be kept home. These are all signs of illness and your child should be kept home until they are feeling better, or if they have a doctor's note.
• Reporting. Reporting to parents about illnesses that are being spread throughout the preschool is imperative. It is also important for parents to report to the preschool if their child becomes ill, so other parents can be informed in case their child also comes down with the same illness. This way too, the preschool can go through and clean/disinfect the entire preschool to prevent any more illnesses from occurring.

Cleaning And Disinfecting

The preschool should be kept clean and disinfected to help prevent outbreaks of illnesses. Check with the preschool to be sure hands are being washed, and toys and other surfaces are also being cleaned properly to help prevent the spread of germs.

• Hand Washing. Children and preschool teachers/helpers should all be required to wash hands after using the bathroom, after diaper changes, and before serving food or snacks. Disinfecting soaps should be available for hand washing.
• Cleaning Toys. Toys used in a preschool are touched quite a bit by children and can get covered in germs. These toys should be cleaned often with a solution of bleach and water.
• Cleaning Surfaces. All surfaces should be cleaned in a preschool. Surfaces such as desks, tables, chairs, bathrooms, doors, and door handles should all be cleaned using a disinfectant such as bleach or bleach disinfecting wipes.

A good sickness policy, parental responsibility, and proper disinfecting are all important in helping to prevent illness and infection from spreading through your child's preschool. If you suspect your child is ill, keep him home from school until he is well.

To learn more, contact local preschools or visit their websites, like http://www.kidscountry.net.