upon arrival at the centre

Staff is responsible for observing each child as he or she arrives in the day care.  Parents/guardians may be asked the state of their child’s health to ensure that the child is well enough to stay at the centre.  Your child should be well enough to fully participate in the program including outdoor time.

during the day

Throughout the day, staff will observe children for signs of illness, i.e., high fever, rashes, listlessness, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Children who are obviously sick will be separated from the other children to reduce the spread of infection.   If your child shows any obvious signs of illness, you will be called to take your child home.  We ask that children are picked up as soon as possible.

An Exclusion Criteria Chart provided by Toronto Public Health is enclosed in this handbook.  This chart indicates when a child must be sent home and when the child can return to the daycare. This chart is posted on the Family Information board and is also available on our website. The intent of this chart is to reduce number of cases of an illness or outbreak at the daycare.  Staff may also inform you if, during the day, your child’s health was not up to par but yet not sick enough to send home.

upon departure

When you pick up your sick child, the staff member will tell you the status of your child’s health.  They will also let you know how long your child should remain away from the centre depending on their symptoms. We ask that, children not return to the centre until at least 24 hours have elapsed after the symptoms have ended.   However, we will consult the Public Health Guidelines for isolation requirements of any particular ailment.

upon returning to the daycare after being Ill

Staff will ask parents about their child’s health when they return.  For example: when was the last time the temperature was taken, or is there any medication or other symptoms staff should be aware of?  Please ensure that you have given the staff your current contact number in case the symptoms worsen during the day.

doctor’s note

A doctor’s note must accompany a child when they return to the day care after a two week absence due to illness.