When To Keep Your Child Home
Following are some guidelines for when to keep an ill child at home. These are the same guidelines we use in determining when to send ill children home from school. Please remember that during school, children are in close contact with each other. Keeping ill children home at the first signs of illness helps prevent the spread of that illness to other students and staff members.
- Keep children who are sick at home, especially if they have a fever above 100.4 F, are experiencing diarrhea, vomiting and/or a severe cough.
- Please keep your child home when sick for at least 24 hours after he or she no longer has a fever or signs of a fever (chills, feeling very warm, flushed appearance, or sweating) without the use of fever-reducing medications. A fever indicates that your child may be fighting an infection and may be contagious meaning that he or she can spread the infection to others, including those already immunocompromised at risk, and may slow your child’s restorative processes.
- Please keep your child at home until he or she is free from any type of gastrointestinal issue such as vomiting and/or diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.
- If your child’s cough is deep and uncontrollable (even without a fever) he or she should stay at home.
- A child should stay home if they have complaints of a sore throat that is severe, white spots are present on the tonsils or in the back of the throat, or if a headache and/or upset stomach is also present.
Please keep your child home if they are experiencing signs and symptoms of influenza, which also includes severe fatigue, body aches and/or achy muscles. Rest is imperative for healing, and your child will benefit from the additional rest if any of the above or previously listed symptoms are present.
As always, take an active role in preventing the spread of illness by frequently washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available, cover your coughs and sneezes, and stay home when you are sick.
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