Question:
How sick does my two-year-old need to be to be kept home from daycare? Is it OK to send her with the sniffles?
Answer:
Young children overcome as many as 10 to 15 common infectious diseases a year. As children get older, their immune system builds up antibodies and the frequency of these infections decrease. The length of time a child should stay home depends on the period of time that your child is contagious and therefore can spread the disease to others. The chart below gives you a basic idea of how long different illnesses affect children’s school or daycare attendance, but always ask your healthcare provider when your child can return to school.
| Infection | It’s Contagious… | Stay Home Until… |
| Viral cold | when nose starts to run | fever is gone, minimum 12 hours |
| Sore throat (viral) | before symptoms appear | fever is gone |
| Sore throat (bacterial) | with onset of symptoms | on antibiotic for 24 hours |
| Chickenpox | up to five days before rash appears | sores have crusted over (5 to 7 days) |
| Pink eye | when eyelids tear, discharge or matte | no more discharge (3 to 7 days) |
Published in November 2010.