Illness and Medication

As the winter months approach this brings with it the usual minor ailments. Whilst we acknowledge the disruption that unexpectedly ill children can cause to child-care arrangements, on no account may ill children be admitted to the nursery. This rule is not only to prevent the spread of illness but also because in our experience, children need their own home environment if they are not feeling well. If a child becomes ill whilst at the nursery, parents or registered carers will be contacted immediately and asked to take the child home. Please note we cannot accept a child if he or she has had Calpol  because they are 'off colour' or because they have had a temperature. This is very important as young children can deteriorate very quickly and without warning in these circumstances. Rapid changes in temperature can lead to febrile fits.

Wherever practicable, parents should accept that the administration of medicine is their responsibility.  We recognise this is not always practical, especially in the case of antibiotics which usually need to be administered for a period after the child is fit enough to return to the nursery.  Calpol will not be administered except as an emergency measure in special cases.  Parental consent is always obtained before administering Calpol and the child must go home at the earliest opportunity after administration.  On no account, irrespective of age, are children permitted to have tablets or medicine in their possession.  These include cough sweets, inhalers etc.  If staff are likely to be required to give or supervise taking of medicines then written instructions must be supplied with the medicine.  All medicines must be clearly labeled with the child’s name and dosage.