Health Policy
When children enter a group care setting they have many new experiences. One of these experiences that often distresses parents is the increase in the number of colds and/or other common illnesses. The increase in the number of illnesses is due to the child being exposed to increased numbers of people. After the child has been in the group care setting for a few months, he/she will develop a greater resistance to these types of infection.
Children will be protected against cold, heat and sun injury. Fresh air is valuable in preventing disease, so children will go outside daily whenever possible. Parents are asked to provide warm clothing and appropriate shoes for play.
The Preschool will perform a health check each day at arrival. If a child appears too ill to be cared for at the Preschool as judged by a staff member at the time of arrival or at any time during the session, the parent will be contacted to come for the child. Parent should have some alternate childcare plan ready in case of illness. In serious cases, after attempting to reach the parents/guardians, the child will be taken to a local hospital for treatment and the child’s parents/guardians will be notified as soon as possible.
To provide parents with some guidelines as to when a child should not be in the Preschool, the following list has been prepared.
Keep a child at home if he/she has:
- Fever or vomited within the last 24 hours
- Diarrhea, which is indicated by two loose stools in a day.
- Pinkeye or Conjunctivitis, which is indicated by redness, burning and a thick discharge. The child will be excluded from school until symptom-free. Even if the child is on prescription drops the child cannot attend with symptoms as the drops are only effective for the bacterial type infection.
- Croupy cough or cough accompanied by rapid or difficult breathing or wheezing.
- Clear, runny nose that has just begun. The child will be excluded for two days, this is when a cold is contagious or may be an early sign of measles or chicken pox.
- Rashes that the parent cannot identify or have not been diagnosed by a physician.
- Contagious diseases. Some of these are: measles, chicken pox, mumps, rosella, etc.
- If a doctor diagnoses an infection and places the child on an antibiotic, the child should remain home until on the medication for 24 hours.
- Lice or nits in hair.
Parents will be notified of any exposure to communicable diseases. Information will be posted in the classroom including symptoms, incubation period, control methods, and when the child can return.
Immunizations
State law requires all children must have a Physician’s Report (lic 701) and Immunizations on file. It must be signed and completed by a licensed physician or nurse practitioner. According to California State regulations, all children admitted to child development programs must be immunized against polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis, meningitis & chicken pox. These immunizations must be up to date for the child's age. Make sure your child receives any immunizations needed at the time of his or her physical.
Incidental Medical Services
If your child has a known medical condition (asthma, diabetes, seizure disorder, allergy, etc.), and may need incidental medical services, it must be documented on:
- Physician’s Report (lic 701)
- Child’s Preadmission Health History (Lic 702)
- Emergency Card
A Health Care Plan will be required before you child can attend. The Health Care Plan will let program staff know what to do if the medical condition should occur during program hours. The Health Care Plan will be created with parents/guardians and the Child Development Specialist/Director of the preschool. Occasional a new medical condition arises after initial registration (asthma, new allergy, etc). You will need to update your child’s file; get a new Physician’s Report (lic 701) and create a Health Care Plan before services can be performed. In extreme classes, the child may not attend until a Health Care Plan is ready to use at the site.
Allergies
All allergies, special dietary or medical needs must be indicated on the Physician’s Report (lic 701), Child’s Preadmission Health History (Lic 702), and Emergency Card. If your child has a medication allergy it needs to be listed on the Consent for Emergency Medical Treatment form (Lic 627). Food allergies and special dietary needs must be documented by a physician on a CACFP Meal Modification Form. A Health Care Plan (see above) will be required before your child can attend.
Medications/Medical Equipment
We encourage parents to come to the preschool and administer medications or use medical equipment with your child whenever possible. We are unable to give over-the-counter medication, such as Tylenol, without written permission from your child’s doctor. Sunscreen and Chap Stick are considered over-the-counter medications and cannot be applied to your child without medical authorization. If needed, please apply sunscreen to your child before arrival at the program.
If a child is to be given prescription or over-the-counter medicine at school, the parent/guardian must provide program staff with a completed, signed Consent to Administer Medication form. A Health Care Plan will be required before the staff can administer any medications, use medical equipment, or store it at the site.
All medications/ medical devices will be stored in a marked locked cupboard in the classroom, in a RED Emergency backpack during field trips/emergencies, or in the adjacent kitchen’s refrigerator in a locked box. All medications must be current and stored in the original container. Medications and medical supplies/equipment must be approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter sale to the public without a prescription. Medical equipment will be placed in its original storage container or a zip-lock bag with the child’s name. Prescribed medications must have an affixed doctor/pharmacy label with the child’s name. If more than one medication is to be administered, EACH medication must have a corresponding Consent to Administer Medication form.