WOHMs - what's your daycare's policy on

[jaylea]

hand foot and mouth?

13 of the 16 kids at ours have it. Our DCP said she's "not sure when they're safe to go back". The online things I have read say that so long as they are fever-free, they are good, since it is most contagious before the sores/blisters appear and is not dangerous.

But I don't have a legit source for this.

[eddy]

I think fever free and feeling better.

Ours doesn't have a specific policy about it. The illness just falls under the 24 hrs without a fever rule.

[cuddlyevil]

When we used the in-home DCP, it was: Fever free for 24 hours and if it's something really contagious, their doctor needed to clear them.

Now that it's the IL's, it is a bit easier but if it's something really contagious I'll stay home with the sick one and the other two will go to MIL's to lower their risk.

[peachykate]

I couldn't take Jax back until the blisters scabbed over. Luckily, he only had them in his mouth so he went back 24 hours after the fever broke.

[jaylea]

M's are already starting to scab over, so hopefully we will be set either way tomorrow.

I am still reeling that 13 of 16 kids have it. Crazy!

[Deleted]

fever free with blisters that are scabbing - it ripped through the infant room at our place 2-3x in the past year.

[revolution]

Pedi told us fever free. Our DCP didn't believe us - they thought it had to be blister free, but by the time he had blisters and we took him to the pedi, the fever was gone and he wasn't contagious. We had pedi give us a note. He did find it online for us, let me see if I can find it.

[jaylea]

Thanks, rev. I am kind of laughing though - you are going to make 81% of your charges stay home? I bet the other 3 have it by end of the week, or they've had it before and are immune. I don't know how they could avoid it otherwise!

[savannah11]

Our in home provider first said fever and blister free. Then changed it to a note from the pedi. I was able to get a note easily from the pedi before DD was blister free, but DD still ended up being out 5 days.

[littlemissladybug]

It's contagious before the blisters appear, I believe. I'm a DCP and my rule is fever free for 24hrs.

[Chirp]

The consensus here is "when cleared by the doctor". We don't use daycare, but when we were looking I remember them being really clear about that up front.

DS had it last year and H caught it from him. They both had the fever for 4 days and it look about 3 weeks for the blisters to go away. H was written out of work for a week (he's in IT, so he touches other people's stuff).

[peach]

My policy ( I have a daycare) is fever free, and blisters are scabbed over. They will still have marks/scabs for a while...but as long as they aren't open, and the fever is gone they are not contagious.

[anonymous]

Fever free for 24 hours without medication. I got it after DD had it-one of the worst experiences-I was so freaking sick

[papie]

Our daycare lets the go in. Which is how my kid got it. Then I kept her home for a week. I was pissed.