It is sometimes hard to know when you should keep your children home from school.
Here are a few guidelines to help:
- Fever - Children should remain home with a fever higher than 100.4 The child can return to school after he/she has been fever free, without the use of fever reducing medicine, for 24 hrs.
- Diarrhea/Vomiting - Children who have diarrhea and/or vomiting should be kept home until symptoms have been resolved for 24 hours.
- Rash - If your children have a suspicious rash or if it is associated with a fever, contact your doctor. Keep your children home from school until your health care provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the return to school.
- Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) - Children may return to school after 24 hours of treatment.
- Cold, Sore Throat, Cough - If cold, sore throat and cough symptoms are associated with a fever and/or your children are experiencing discomfort they should remain at home. Consider having your children seen by your health care provider if symptoms do not improve. A sore throat, in conjunction with a fever, may indicate strep throat. A headache and stomachache can also be signs of strep throat.
- Communicable Diseases - Children who have contagious diseases, spread by contact, coughing, or sneezing, should stay at home. Examples of these are influenza, chicken pox, strep throat, and head lice. Communicable diseases should be reported to the school nurse as soon as possible.
- If the nurse sends your child home from school with vomiting, diarrhea, or a fever, they cannot return to school until they are symptom free for 24 hours.