Haggard Childcare Resources Illness Policies (Updated 4/5/2024)

Illness Exclusion.  In the midst of the pandemic, we enforced our illness exclusion policy strictly.  Over the past 6-12 months, we have eased that enforcement.  With the illness levels we've been experiencing, we want to re-calibrate and ensure families have the appropriate expectations.

 

Guidance from the WA Department of Health continues to be that a child can return to care after exclusion IF they have a negative COVID test and their symptoms have significantly improved.  Here is Public Health's most recent "Keep Me Home If" graphic to assist on when a child should stay home and would be excluded from care.

*HCR is maintaining the previous fever exclusion guidance, in which a fever of 100.4F, regardless of other symptoms is excludable.


In addition to the guidance above on when a child will be excluded from care, we offer additional guidance on when a child may be excluded:

  1. Cough and/or Runny Nose

    1. Qualifiers: To help with determining whether a cough or runny nose should keep a child home, we've put together additional guidelines of when a child should stay home or that we would ask that you kindly pick your child up early are:

    • A child has a runny nose and the child and/or staff are unable to keep it from spreading to hands and materials. For preschoolers, if they cannot manage their own runny nose, we would ask they be excluded.

    • A child develops an uncontrollable cough- or one so frequent, they stop covering their mouth, though would normally have practiced it.

    • A child's cough is accompanied by a wheezing while breathing.

    • A child has either a cough or runny nose, AND their appetite, willingness to engage with other children, or need to be comforted is significantly different than their typical behaviors.

    • A child coughed frequently throughout the night and it was more challenging than normal to get them out of bed in the morning.

Determination and Notification.  To support both staff and families, when a classroom identifies  the need for a child to be excluded, the determination will go through a Lead Teacher or member of the school leadership.   We know the impact this has on families during a busy work day and will do our due diligence before asking a family member or caregiver to pick up their child. We do ask that you trust our assessment and if you have an issue, please bring it to the school Director's attention.  Let's help keep each other as healthy as possible!