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HEALTH POLICY
We can greatly reduce the incidence and severity of illness at Children’s Corner if we work cooperatively to prevent the rapid spread of communicable disease.
Immunizations
The California School Immunization Law requires that children be completely immunized before enrollment in Children’s Corner. Children must have received three doses of polio vaccine, four doses of DPT vaccine and one dose each of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and any other immunizations required by the Department of Health. We must receive a written record provided by the physician or agency performing the immunizations.
The law allows exemptions for medical reasons or for personal beliefs. The reasons for exemptions must be stated in writing. Because we believe strongly in the value of immunizations, we provide information about relative risks of disease versus immunization for those contemplating personal beliefs exemption.
Hand Washing
We place emphasis on hand washing before meals and snacks, after toileting/diapering and after wiping noses, both by children and staff. We clean food preparation and eating areas, diapering surfaces and rest rooms throughout the day. We wash toys that have been mouthed. Even though it can seem quite messy when children are using materials heavily and creatively, Children’s Corner is a healthy place.
Health Assessments
A health assessment is made of each child upon arrival. Children showing any signs of illness are not accepted. We discuss health concerns directly with you.
If your child becomes ill while at Children’s Corner, the staff contacts you and asks you to pick the child up within two hours. A child must be free of symptoms for 24 hours before returning. This policy protects the sick child as well as others, since resistance is low during recuperation.
Please let us know if your child contracts a communicable disease such as chicken pox, giardiasis, shingellosis, hepatitis, meningitis or measles. You are notified if your child is exposed to a communicable disease while here.
Criteria For Child’s Staying Home - Symptom List:
- Fever—101° oral, 102° rectal, 100° axillar.
- Diarrhea and Colds—See below for details.
- Ear Infections—Fever or lethargy, nausea, vomiting, loose stools, drainage, irritability, tugging on ears. Child may return to center when on medication and 24 hours after constitutional symptoms are gone.
- Eye Infection—With yellow or green drainage. Child must be on medication 24 hours and have very little drainage before returning to the center.
- Cough—A wet, wheezy cough with mucus secretion.
- Vomiting—Recurring or with fever.
- Skin Infections or Rash—With drainage. Child with dried skin lesions may come to the center.
- Lice, Scabies and other Parasites—Child may return to the center after appropriate treatment and shampoo.
- Other Communicable Infections—A child may return when infectious symptoms have subsided and child is feeling better. In some instances, a physician’s release may be required.
Health Policies for Diarrhea and Colds
- Diarrhea—Frequent watery, loose or bowel movements with mucus.
All cases of diarrhea must be reported to the center and the cause explained. Diarrhea has more serious consequences than catching a cold. Severe dehydration can lead to hospitalization. The risks of spreading serious intestinal illness associated with diarrhea are more serious than the risk of spreading colds.
A child with diarrhea can come to the center if
- Diarrhea is caused from diet changes or from an allergy.
- Child has had one loose movement without other physical symptoms before coming to the center.
A child with diarrhea must stay home if:
- Diarrhea is accompanied by additional signs of illness (fever, runny nose, vomiting, irritability, lack of appetite).
- Diarrhea is not due to diet change or allergy, even without other physical symptoms.
- Colds and Runny Nose
- A child can come to the center with
- Clear runny nose with no other symptoms.
- Clear runny nose caused by teething or allergy.
- Yellow or green runny nose by itself for up to a week.
- A child must stay home with
- Runny nose with fever, lack of appetite, lethargy or irritability.
- Runny nose that is yellow or green for more than a week.
- Runny nose plus vomiting.
- Runny nose plus other signs of illness.
Any symptoms that persist for two or more weeks usually require medical attention.
Medication Policy
We can administer prescription drugs with your explicit authorization, according to these procedures:
- Parents must:
- Read and sign acknowledgment of the medication policy.
- Bring only the exact dose we are to give, in the original container. Labeled travel bottles are available from the pharmacist.
- Fill out a parent request form, which includes explicit instructions for administration, emergency instructions and a signature.
- Give the container to the teacher only. Do not put medications either prescription or “over the counter” in lunch boxes or cubbies.
- Teachers have the responsibility for seeing that the medication policy is carried out.
- The teachers designate a safe place in each room, or office out of reach of children, for “medications storage.”
- The teacher personally administers medication. The director administers medication in the teacher’s absence.
- Before administering medication, the teacher
- Verifies that the information on the container matches the information on the parent request form
- Verifies that the prescription is intended for the child we are asked to give it to.
It is against the law to give a prescription medication to someone other than the intended patient.
- Double-checks to make sure that he or she is giving the medication to the right child.
- After administering the medication, the teacher or director completes the appropriate section on the parent request form.
- In the event of an adverse reaction to the medication, the teacher notifies the director immediately for assistance in following the parent’s emergency instructions.
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