Sick Child Guidance & Procedures

Approved 2/25/2020

In order to help prevent illness, Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists Religious Education Committee has developed the following sick child guidance and procedures. We have a large community which includes some who may be more at-risk for communicable diseases and their effects, including the elderly and infants, plus others who are immuno-compromised; however, this policy would be protective of all. It is intended to provide guidance to both teachers and parents about:

  1. When it is best to keep a sick child at home.
  2. When a teacher or child-caregiver should contact a parent to pick-up a sick child.
  3. Procedures for health and safety during cleanup after a child becomes physically ill.

When a child should not come to RE Class or event
We ask that parents do not bring children to WUU, to class, or to child-care at WUU if the following conditions are present:

  • If a child has fever, diarrhea and/or vomiting, the child should not return to WUU until 24 hours have passed since the last sign of the symptoms.
  • If a child is prescribed antibiotics for a contagious disease, they should not return to WUU until 24 hours after the antibiotic is first taken.
  • If a child has a contagious disease, infection, or parasite, please do not bring them to WUU. This may include the following contagious diseases: ringworm, pinkeye, herpes, MRSA, etc.
  • If a child has lice, they cannot return to class until 24 hours after the first treatment, and the parent must inform the teacher or child-care provider to ensure that precautions are taken (i.e., no sharing of clothing, hats, etc.). No child can attend who has “live” lice.
  • The following symptoms may indicate a contagious illness, so please be thoughtful before bringing a child to WUU: sore throat, headache, rash, severe itching, unusual eye/nasal discharge, significant tiredness/crying/irritability, uncontrolled coughing, and difficulty breathing or wheezing.

If a child feels severely unwell, but does not yet have fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, please consider whether it is necessary to bring the child to WUU. As most parents know, the first signs of a severe sickness are malaise, severe crankiness, body aches, sore throats, and unexplained exhaustion. Sometimes these symptoms come at the most contagious part of a disease cycle.

When to contact parents to pick-up a sick child
WUU conducts RE on Sunday and also provides child-care for a number of events at WUU. Sometimes a child who “seems fine” on the way to the event may suddenly “take a turn for the worse” once surrounded by their peers in an exciting situation. Not only do we want the sick child to feel better, but we also want to ensure that illness is not transmitted to other children or adult caregivers. Please note that teachers and caregivers are not to give children ANY medicine during a normal RE class or under a childcare situation.

Parents will be contacted to pick-up their child from class or a child-care situation by the teacher, caregiver, or DSD if any of the following conditions are noted by the teacher or child-care provider:

  • Fever: Axillary temperature of 100° F or 38° C or greater
  • Diarrhea: Unusual loose or watery stools
  • Vomiting
  • Severe sore throat or difficulty swallowing
  • Severe headache or stiff neck
  • Lice
  • Rash or spots on skin (e.g., ringworm infection)
  • Severe itching
  • Mouth sores
  • Eye discharge
  • Unusual nasal discharge
  • Significant tiredness, irritability, crying
  • Uncontrolled coughing
  • Difficulty breathing, wheezing

Health and Safety Procedures to address a severe illness requiring cleanup
If a child has an incidence of vomiting or diarrhea at WUU, it is important to focus on the needs of the sick child and prevent the spread of the illness by taking the following precautions:

  1. Identify a person to take care of the sick child. This person should focus on the needs of the sick child and also prevent the spread of the illness. Please provide comfort, but please be careful of physical contact and wash hands as soon as possible.
  2. Remove all children and adults from the immediate area and have them wash their hands. If possible, have them move to a different room.
  3. Contact the child’s parents or guardians to take the child home. Also, identify other adults to help with cleanup or child management.
  4. Identify a primary person to do the cleanup of the “mess”. This person should put on gloves and get cleaning supplies to clean up the mess. Please cleanup the “mess” as well as the surrounding area that may suffer from a “splash effect”, which may include vertical surfaces such as doorknobs and light switches. The following cleanup methods are best to minimize spread of illness:
  • Scrape up the vomit using a paper plate, newspaper, or paper towel.
  • On a hard surface, use bleach spray and paper towels.
  • On a carpeted surface, Sprinkle the remaining mess generously with baking soda. This will soak up any remaining liquid while also counteracting odor. Then pick up what you can with a paper towel. Then use soap and water to gently scrub the mess from the carpet, being sure not to saturate the area.