ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance Matters. |
Regular daily attendance is very important in order for your child to benefit from the program. Regular attendance allows a trusting relationship between the child and educators as well as gives the child ample and consistent learning experiences. If a child is to be absent the parent is required to call the center/provider to notify them of the child's absence. Sometimes this may be difficult; therefore, we will make every effort to attempt to call you. It is important for you to be aware of subsidy policies which states “if a child is absent without excuse three or more times per month the need from day care services will be reassessed". |
|
You as the parent know your child better than anyone else. If you feel your child cannot join the other children in regularly scheduled indoor or outdoor activities due to illness, alternative care is required. Children may not attend the center/provider if they have any of the following: temperature, vomiting, diarrhea, rash of unknown origin, or any contagious conditions. If your child is sent home with a fever, vomiting or diarrhea they must be free of these symptoms for 24 hours before they can return.
Children who are mildly ill may remain in school if they are not contagious (refer to Plan for Infection Disease) and they can participate in the daily program including outside time. If a child's condition worsens or if it is determined that the child poses a threat to the health of the other children, or if the child cannot be cared for by the classroom staff, WSDCC will contact the child’s parent(s). The parent(s) will be asked to pick up the child or make arrangements for someone else on their pick up list to pick up their child. The child needs to be picked up within one hour of the parent being notified. The child will be cared for in a quiet area in the classroom or in the office until they are picked up. |
|
Staff will take extra special precautions when children who are ill are diagnosed at WSDCC and when children who are mildly ill remain at the WSDCC.
Children who exhibit symptoms of the following types of infectious diseases, such as gastro intestinal, respiratory and skin or direct contact infections, may be excluded from WSDCC if it is determined that any of the following exist:
A child who has been excluded from child care may return after being evaluated by a physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner, and it has been determined that he/she is considered to pose no serious health risk to him or her or to the other children. Nevertheless, WSDCC may make the final decision concerning the inclusion or exclusion of the child.
If a child has already been admitted to WSDCC and shows signs of illness and manifests any symptoms requiring exclusion (as listed above) or it is determined that it is in the best interest of the child that he/she be taken home, his/her parent will be contacted immediately and requested that the child be picked up within the hour.
When a communicable disease has been introduced into WSDCC, parents will be notified immediately, and in writing by the Education Coordinator. Whenever possible, information regarding the communicable disease shall be made available to parents. WSDCC shall consult the Child Care Health Manual for such information. DPH must be contacted when there is a reportable communicable disease in the program.
WSDCC requires, on admission, a physician’s certificate that each child has been successfully immunized in accordance with the Department of Public Health’s recommended schedule. No child shall be required, under 102.CMR 7.00 to have any such immunization if his parent(s) object, in writing, on the grounds that if conflicts with their religious beliefs or if the child's physician submits documentation that such a procedure is contradicted. This must be maintained in the child's file. No child will be admitted into the program without the required documentation for immunization. Lead screening must be done on all children; it is not considered an immunization. The program will maintain a list of the children who have documented exemptions from immunizations and these children will be excluded from attending when a vaccine preventable disease is introduced into the program. The Massachusetts Immunization Program provides free childhood vaccines. The toll free telephone number is 1-888-658-2850
Children who exhibit symptoms of the following types of infectious diseases, such as gastro intestinal, respiratory and skin or direct contact infections, may be excluded from WSDCC if it is determined that any of the following exist:
- The illness prevents the child from participating in the program activities or from resting comfortably;
- The illness results in greater care need that the child care staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of the other children;
- The child has any of the following conditions: fever, unusual lethargy, irritability, persistent crying, difficult breathing, or other signs of serious illness;
- Diarrhea:
- Fever equal to or greater than 100.5 degrees by oral or auxiliary route:
- Vomiting two or more times in the previous 24 hours at home or once at WSDCC:
- Mouth sores, unless the physician states that the child is non-infectious:
- Rash with a fever or behavior change until physician has determined that the illness is not a communicable disease:
- Purulent conjunctivitis (defined as pink or red conductive with white or yellow discharge, often matted eyelids) until examined by a physician and approved for re-admission, with or without treatment:
- Tuberculosis, until the child is non-infectious: Impetigo, until 24 hours after treatment has started or all the sores are covered:
- Head lice, free of all nits or scabies and free of all mites:
- Strep infection, until 24 hours after treatment and the child has been without a fever for 24 hours
- Many types of hepatitis are caused by viruses. The symptoms are so alike those blood tests are needed to tell them apart. In the U.S. the most common types of hepatitis are A, B, and Types B and C are spread through blood and other body fluids. Type A is spread through contaminated food and water or stool (feces). Fact sheets are available from the Department of Public Health. www.state.ma.us/dph
- Chicken Pox, until last blister has healed
A child who has been excluded from child care may return after being evaluated by a physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner, and it has been determined that he/she is considered to pose no serious health risk to him or her or to the other children. Nevertheless, WSDCC may make the final decision concerning the inclusion or exclusion of the child.
If a child has already been admitted to WSDCC and shows signs of illness and manifests any symptoms requiring exclusion (as listed above) or it is determined that it is in the best interest of the child that he/she be taken home, his/her parent will be contacted immediately and requested that the child be picked up within the hour.
When a communicable disease has been introduced into WSDCC, parents will be notified immediately, and in writing by the Education Coordinator. Whenever possible, information regarding the communicable disease shall be made available to parents. WSDCC shall consult the Child Care Health Manual for such information. DPH must be contacted when there is a reportable communicable disease in the program.
WSDCC requires, on admission, a physician’s certificate that each child has been successfully immunized in accordance with the Department of Public Health’s recommended schedule. No child shall be required, under 102.CMR 7.00 to have any such immunization if his parent(s) object, in writing, on the grounds that if conflicts with their religious beliefs or if the child's physician submits documentation that such a procedure is contradicted. This must be maintained in the child's file. No child will be admitted into the program without the required documentation for immunization. Lead screening must be done on all children; it is not considered an immunization. The program will maintain a list of the children who have documented exemptions from immunizations and these children will be excluded from attending when a vaccine preventable disease is introduced into the program. The Massachusetts Immunization Program provides free childhood vaccines. The toll free telephone number is 1-888-658-2850