Childhood Illnesses & Wellbeing
When should I keep my child at home from nursery ?
We understand that young children can become unwell from time to time, particularly as they settle into nursery and build their immunity. During the first few months, it is not unusual for children to experience minor illnesses as they encounter new environments and socialise with other children.
Our priority is always the health, wellbeing and comfort of every child in our care. We are equipped and staffed to support children who are well enough to enjoy their normal nursery day. We will always do our best to care for children who are feeling slightly under the weather, wherever it is appropriate and safe to do so.
However, there are occasions when a child may be too unwell to attend nursery or may need to remain at home for a period of time. Sending a child home or asking them not to attend will always be a last resort, and we will work with families wherever possible to support a child's return to nursery when they are well enough.
Your child should not attend nursery if they:
- Are not well enough to participate in their normal nursery activities or require a level of individual care or attention that we cannot safely provide within the nursery environment.
- Have, or develop, an illness or symptoms for which an exclusion period applies, as outlined in our Exclusion Periods guidance.
If your child becomes unwell while at nursery, we will contact you to discuss their symptoms and agree the appropriate next steps.
We appreciate that having to keep your child at home can be difficult for families, particularly when balancing work and other commitments. Our decisions are always made with your child's wellbeing and the health of the wider nursery community in mind. We ask all families to keep us informed if their child is unwell and to follow the recommended exclusion periods before returning to nursery.
Want to know more ?
Exclusion Periods
This guidance refers to public health exclusions to indicate the time period a child should not attend a setting to reduce the risk of transmission during the infectious stage.
If your child is prescribed anti biotics due to an illness they will have to be on the course for 48 hours before returning to nursery. If your child continues to require the medication when they return to nursery you will need to complete a medicine form with your nursery manager.
Raised temperature
Children with a high Temperature should be kept at home until it returns to normal.
If your child develops a higher than normal temperature while at nursery, we will contact you to let you know and, where appropriate, ask you to collect your child.
Our priority is always your child's health, comfort and wellbeing, as well as helping to protect the health of other children and our team.
Sickness/Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea and vomiting are common in adults, children and babies. They're often caused by a stomach bug and should stop in a few days. If a child has 3 or more loose stools in a day, we determine it to be diarrhoea.
We follow NHS guidance and insist that the child is kept at home for 48 hours after their last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting.
