One Page Sheet: Child Care Letter

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Date: ______/______/______

Dear Child Care Professional:
I have carefully evaluated _____________________________ and have diagnosed him/her as having:

• Cold
• Middle ear fluid (Otitis Media with Effusion, OME)
• Cough
• Viral sore throat
• Flu
• Other: ____________________________________

This illness is caused by a virus. Antibiotic treatment will not cure a viral illness (antibiotics only are effective in treating bacterial infections). In fact, if antibiotics are given when they are not needed, they may be harmful by increasing the child’s risk of a resistant infection.

This child may return to day care when he/she does not have a fever. At that point most children can participate in activities, and do not require so much care that the health and safety of other children would be jeopardized. Excluding children with viral illness does not decrease the spread of infection to other children because viruses are likely to be spread even before symptoms of illness occur.

Sincerely yours,

P.S. Here are some expert reviews that support these recommendations.  

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ABC’s of Safe and Healthy Child Care; A Handbook for Child Care Providers. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, U. S. Public Health Service, 1996.

American Public Health Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. Caring for Our Children. National Health and Safety Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs. Ann Arbor, MI: American Public Health Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, 1992.

1-800-CDC-INFO
www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention