Exclusion From Day Care, Medication & Child Abuse

Your child’s health is a matter of major importance to all of us. Upon enrollment you must present a current health form, signed by a physician, which states that your child is free from infectious disease and is physically able to participate in a child care program. We also require that all children enrolled have certain standard immunizations and that these records be kept current after each new immunization.

A child who has a fever upon arrival will not be allowed to remain in Extended Care. If a child develops a fever, rash or illness during the day, you will be asked to pick the child up immediately.

If your child had a fever or was vomiting the night before, please do not bring your child to school the following day until he has been on medication or has been fever free for 24 hours. We understand this can create difficulties for you, but it is absolutely essential for maintaining a healthy environment for everyone in school and Extended Care.

Your child will be excluded from attendance for any of the following:

1. Fever: No child whose fever exceeds 100.4 orally will be allowed in attendance as specified by TDHS (Texas Department of Human Services). We will not administer medication to lower a child’s temperature (example: Tylenol or aspirin) in order to allow a child to remain in attendance.

2. Cold & Runny Noses: Many young children have problems with allergies, sinus, and ear infections. Runny noses and colds spread quickly in day care settings. If the nasal discharge is clear, it is normally allergy based and noninfectious. If the discharge is yellowish or green, infection is usually present. In this case, we must have evidence that the child is being treated with prescribed medication.

3. Diarrhea: Children will be excluded from day care.

4. Vomiting: All children will be excluded from attendance until vomiting ceases and no fever exists. Fever does not need to be present for a child to be excluded.

5. Ear infections: If there is no fever present and the child is currently on medication, the child will be allowed to participate in day care.

6. Chicken pox: The child will be excluded from attendance until ALL open blisters have crusted over. The sores do not have to be gone, as long as all blisters have crusted over and no fever exists.

7. Impetigo: This is highly contagious and spreads quickly. It appears as blisters on the skin that open and become covered with yellowish crust. No fever exists, but the child must be excluded from attendance until treatment is begun and all sores must be covered while in school.

8. Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Symptoms include red eyes, usually with some discharge or crust on the eyelids. The child must be excluded from attendance and can return with a written permission slip from the child’s physician. This condition is highly contagious and will spread easily among children as well as adults.

9. Strep Throat: Children with strep throat must be excluded from attendance. They may return after having been on antibiotics for 24 hours and no fever is present.

10. Other Communicable Diseases: (Measles,Mumps, etc.): Children will be excluded from attendance and may return with a doctor’s authorization.

All medication is administered through the office. A simple note to the Director will let her know of the need to take your child to the office to get his/her medication.

All medication must be clearly marked with your child’s full name and must be in the original container. Ask the pharmacist to package your medication in two bottles, this allows one to stay at school and keeps you from having to bring it into the office everyday.

The school’s policy on dispensing is:

1. The appropriate medication authorization form must be filled out COMPLETELY. 2. The form must be signed by the child’s physician and the parent. 3. On this form you must indicate the date medication is to be administered; the name of the medication; the exact dosage; and the time medication is to be given. 4. No medication of any kind should be left in the child’s backpack or lunch kit. 5. Medication should not be left in the office longer than the date indicated on the authorization form. 6. Medication forms are available in the school office. 7. You may ask your doctor to fax the school his consent to dispense medication. The fax number is (817-332-2640).

See St. Paul Luther School Parent-Student Handbook for more information.

All 4 year olds and 5 year olds enrolled in St. Paul Lutheran School will have their vision and hearing screened. This is a great help for our parents and an early detection tool for our young children.

An important factor in providing quality care to young children is ensuring their health and safety. We will strive to protect them from abuse or neglect both in their homes and in our care.

To stop child abuse, the cycle must be broken so that the children do not grow up to be abusing adults.

Childcare providers are important in breaking the cycle through responsibly reporting suspected or identified abuse.

All care givers must report to the proper authorities any suspected physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect.

Should you have a concern about the care your child is receiving at our day care we ask that you first bring it to the attention of the director and give her the opportunity to check into the problem and get it taken care of. Our day care is licensed through the state of Texas. We follow all guidelines set out by the Department of Family and Protective Services. They are always willing to address any questions or concerns you might have. There address is as follows.