As children grow and mix with other children it is inevitable that incidents of infectious illness occur. Outbreaks of common illnesses such as diarrhoea, chicken pox, foot & mouth, head lice etc occur regularly in our society and are easily spread through a community. Generally childcare services will advise parents if there is an outbreak of an infectious disease at the centre and will have policies on illness management, it is advisable however to be aware of these policies to be sure they suit you when selecting care.

If you are working and are dependant on childcare you need to be aware of your leave entitlements such as sick leave and family leave. It is important to have in place a plan of action that identifies who will be able to take time off when your child is sick, this plan can include your partner and family or friends.

If your child has been ill, be aware you may be required to obtain a clearance from your doctor prior to your child returning to your childcare service.

Obviously the most common form of illness that children face is coughs and colds. Within a group of children it is natural there will be coughs, running noses and colds, especially when seasons change. It is extremely difficult to avoid catching these bugs but there are some strategies that may help.

• Teach your child to blow their nose
• Encourage them to cover their mouth when coughing and to cover their nose/mouth with their hands when sneezing
• Develop thorough hand washing skills, after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing.

Remember, if your child attends a childcare centre, it is important to have in place back up care arrangements in the event that illness prevents them from attending normal care. 

Another good idea is to have an Emergency/Illness Information Sheet to enable carers to quickly and easily contact you or you support in the event of an emergency or sudden illness. Click below for a printer friendly version of our;

Emergency/Illness Information Sheet