We consider health and safety to be a serious matter at the PISD Employee Child Care Center. If your child becomes ill at school, we will contact you immediately. It is your absolute duty to pick up your child within one hour upon request. Failure to comply with this request endangers the health of other students and staff members and thus may jeopardize your child’s enrollment status.

In the meantime, we will provide a quiet place for your child to rest until you arrive, separated from other students. By state regulation, you must keep your child home until your child is free from all symptoms of illness and fever for at least 24 hours as described below.

A child must be excluded from child care when:

• The illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in facility activities.
• The illness results in a need for greater care than the child care staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of the other children.

Children’s temperatures at the center will be taken on the forehead using a noncontact infrared forehead thermometer, a digital hand held temporal scanner, or in the ear using a digital tympanic thermometer. Oral and rectal methods for taking temperatures will not be used. Specific conditions which require exclusion:

• Fever, exclude until child has been fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication, or until medical evaluation indicates inclusion;
• Oral temperature of 100 degrees or greater, accompanied by behavior changes or other signs or symptoms of illness;
• Rectal temperature of 101 degrees or greater, accompanied by behavior changes (rectal temperature will not be taken at the center) or other signs or symptoms of illness;
• Armpit temperature, as read on the thermometer of 99 degrees or greater, accompanied by behavior changes or other signs or symptoms of illness; or
• Signs of possible severe illness, including unusual lethargy, irritability, persistent crying, and difficult breathing.
• Uncontrolled diarrhea, defined as an increased number of stools compared with the child’s normal pattern, with increased stool water and/or decreased form. Even one diarrhea incident may require exclusion if it is not contained by the child’s diaper or if it is combined with other symptoms. Exclude until symptoms have disappeared for 24 hours.
• Vomiting two or more times in the previous 24 hours unless the vomiting is determined to be due to a non-communicable condition and the child is not in danger of dehydration. Exclude until symptoms have disappeared for 24 hours.
• Mouth sores with drooling unless the child’s physician or local health department authority states the child is non-infectious.
• Rash with fever or behavior change, until a physician has determined the illness not to be a communicable disease.
• Purulent conjunctivitis, defined as pink or red conjunctiva with white or yellow eye discharge, often with matted eyelids after sleep, and including a child with eye pain or redness of the eyelids or skin surrounding the eye. May return 24 hours after treatment begins and symptoms have disappeared.
• Infestation (e.g. scabies, head lice), may return after treatment. All nits and egg sacks must be removed prior to child’s return. It is necessary for the clinic personnel to check for continued infestation upon child’s return to school.
• Impetigo, until 24 hours after treatment begins.
• Streptococcal pharyngitis, until 24 hours after treatment has been initiated, and until the child has been afebrile for 24 hours.
• Pinworm and Ringworm infections, until 24 hours after treatment begins.
• Chicken Pox, until 6 days after onset of rash or until all lesions have dried and crusted.
• Other conditions or symptoms as determined in the sole discretion of the administration at the Center.

In general, policies developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics/American Public Health Association pertaining to the exclusion of children with other contagious diseases will be followed.

Specific conditions that do not require exclusion:

• Children who have a type of germ in their bowel movement or urine that can cause disease, but that is not giving any symptoms to the child whose stool or urine contains the germ.
• Children with conjunctivitis (pink eye) who have a clear, watery eye discharge and do not have any fever, eye pain, pus coming from the eye, or eyelid redness.
• Children with a rash, but no fever or change in behavior (must be released by a physician).
• Children with cytomegalovirus infection, carriers of hepatitis B and HIV infection.
• Children with a clear nasal discharge not accompanied by other symptoms; however, please note that cloudy, yellow, or green nasal discharge can be a sign of infection and can lead to exclusion from group care.

If a child appears mildly ill, 

• Parent/guardian will be notified. The administration employees will inform parent of child’s symptoms and review the policies and procedures for school participation.
• Child will be cared for apart from the other children and, if necessary, given a place to rest.
• Child should be picked up within 1-hour of parent notification.

Some communicable diseases must be reported to public health authorities so that control measures can be implemented. A list of these diseases can be found on the communicable disease chart in the Minimum Standard Rules for Licensed Child Care Centers. Notify the child care site manager or coordinator if your child’s physician determines your child has a reportable disease.

When contagious illnesses, such as flu, chicken pox, etc., appear in a class, notices will be posted on the bulletin board and/or an email message will be sent to all parents. The ill child’s identity will not be revealed in any posted or emailed notices. Physician release may be required upon request in order to allow the student to return to the center upon diagnosis of one of these illnesses or any other illness, as determined by the center administration.

A current record of a medical physical is required of all children enrolled at PISD Employee Child Care Center.

Immunization records must be kept up-to-date and documented at the child care center. All immunization records must have the healthcare provider’s original signature or signature stamp to validate authenticity.

If medical diagnosis and treatment and/or immunization conflict with your religious beliefs, you must sign an affidavit to that effect and attach it to the enrollment form. This affidavit will remain in effect for two years and must be resubmitted accordingly.

If immunization would be injurious to your child or family, you must obtain a certificate (signed by a physician) to that effect and attach it to the enrollment form. Failure to keep immunizations updated will result in termination of enrollment.

Instructions for requesting the official exemption affidavit that must be signed by parents/guardians choosing the exemption for reasons of conscience, including a religious belief, can be found at www.dshs.texas.gov/immunize/school/exemptions.aspx  The original Exemption Affidavit must be completed and submitted to the child care prior to care being provided. 

You must complete a permission to administer medicine form any time you need the child care staff to administer medication (over-the-counter and prescription) to your child.

All medication shall be brought to the center office in the original container and will be stored in a locked box or cabinet. It is unsafe to leave medications in your child’s cubby or diaper bag. Medications (over-the-counter and prescription) found in your child’s cubby or diaper bag will be moved to the center’s designated medication storage location.

Please ask for assistance from center staff for proper storage of all medications. Medications must have current expiration dates and, in the case of a prescription, have been prescribed to the child in question. The PISD Employee Child Care Center will not administer medication that has been prescribed to anyone else.

The following guidelines must be followed when bringing medications to the child care center:

• Both prescription and over-the-counter medications must be in the original container with the pharmacy or factory label intact and clearly legible.
• The label must include the following information (this information must be included on the box of the medication):
  • Date the medication was brought to the center
  • Child’s name
  • Specific directions for dosages and times to be given
  • Physician’s name (if prescription medication)
  • Expiration Date
• Medications must be administered according to label directions, including obtaining instructions from your doctor if your child falls into an age range for which the label states to ‘consult a physician.’ Your child’s caregiver can help guide you in the proper procedures for this.
  • For example: If your child is 18 months old and medication states, “Under 2 years of age needs a doctor’s note to administer” – a doctor’s note MUST be provided.

Child care staff may administer over-the-counter medications on a case by case basis only. We will not accept open-ended directives from parents to administer medications.

A medicine log will be kept with the following information and will be kept on file at the center for one calendar school year:

• child's name
• medicine given
• dosage, date, and time
• who administered the medication

Orajel, Mylicon, & diaper rash cream may remain in a child’s cubby and be used on a case by case basis, if provided by the parent.

PISD Employee Child Care Centers do not maintain a school nurse or other health professional on staff. Medication will be administered in compliance with Plano ISD Board of Trustees Policies FFAC (LEGAL) and FFAC (LOCAL), and related district procedures and guidelines.

Children who have special medical needs must have a complete “medication request form (HS 001, Sp. Ed. 0028)” giving permission to administer needed medications (inhalers, pills, etc.).

A child with severe allergies must have a doctor’s or physician’s allergy action plan on file with the PISD Employee Child Care Center. The physician’s order must include wording that medication may be administered by an unlicensed assistive personnel. The allergy action plan must be updated yearly by the parent and given to the PISD Employee Child Care Center. Complete copies of any legal documents pertaining to a child needs to be given to and kept on file with the Plano ISD Employee Child Care Center.

For any student with an Epi-pen, the parent must also bring over the counter Benadryl®. This is a requirement, as the Employee Child Care Centers do not stock Benadryl® for those students with Epi-pens. If you supply an Epi-pen and Benadryl® you must complete an Allergy Action Plan and turn the plan into the Employee Child Care Center.

PISD Employee Child Care Centers do not maintain a school nurse or other health professional on staff. If your child has a food allergy and with parental permission, a list of your child’s food allergies will be posted where food is delivered, served, in the Emergency Evacuation Binder and in Tadpoles. All staff will be able to easily view the posting. A current photo of the child along with the food allergy will help caregivers easily identify your child with food allergies.

A Food Allergy Emergency Plan must be completed on each child with a food allergy. The parent and health care professional must sign and date the plan. A copy of the plan will be kept in the child’s enrollment file, posted where food is delivered, served, in the Emergency Evacuation Binder and in Tadpoles. The Food Allergy Emergency Plan MUST include a list of each food allergy, possible symptoms if exposed to a food on the list, and steps to take if your child has an allergic reaction. Forms may be obtained at the front office.

Accidents

Minor injuries which are treated by employees at the center will be reported in writing on an accident/ injury report and will be given to the parent on the day the injury occurs. Minor injuries include, but are not limited to: minor cuts, scratches, and bites from other children.

In the event a child receives an injury to the head, eyes, or ears and requires medical attention involving a doctor’s visit or 911 being called, parents will be contacted immediately to notify them of the situation. Should a child experience any changes in behavior, signs of dizziness, headaches, nausea, staggering, bleeding from the ears, difficulty breathing, or similar signs after an injury to the head, eyes, or ears, 911 will be called.

An incident/ illness report will be completed when a child visits the doctor after leaving the center or if 911 is called. Parents must sign the report and receive a copy within 48 hours of the incident.

911

If 911 is called, the site manager or coordinator will notify the parent/ guardians and inform the proper CPS state representative. If the parent/ guardian has not arrived by the time of transport, the site manager or coordinator will accompany the child. The staff member going with the child to the hospital will bring the signed medical release form located in the child’s enrollment folder along with emergency information on that child.

DPFS form 7239

Incident/ illness report will be used as documentation for when a child is ill or an incident has occurred. The parents will receive a copy of the report. When filling out the report, employees will remember to maintain confidentiality and only mention the name of the child for whom the report is being completed. Each blank on the form will be completed with information or an N/A will be documented in the blank if not applicable.