Illnesses and Absence Due to Illness Among Children Attending Child Care Facilities in Seattle-King County, Washington

Abstract

Results comparing the incidence of illness between children in various types of child care settings may be influenced by information sources. The incidence of illness among children in CCHs may be greater than that among children in CCCs. The increased incidence of absence due to illness among children in CCCs compared with that among children in CCHs probably reflects differences in exclusion and attendance policies and practices between these two types of settings.

Provider-Reported Illness and Absence Due to Illness Among Children Attending Child-Care Homes and Centers in San Diego, Calif

“…This study confirms recent reports of a higher incidence of illness and lower incidence of absence due to illness among children in child-care homes than among those in child-care centers 11 and suggests that the risk for illness among children in small child-care homes may be greater than that among children in large child-care homes. The incidence of absence due to illness between both these groups did not differ significantly.…”

“…Much of this concern focused on child-care centers. Findings of the more recent studies, 11 as well as our report, suggest that programs and changes in child care resulting from this concern may have made a difference.…”

“…10 We have suggested that information from these sources may be biased. 11 Although underreporting by childcare providers has been suggested as a possible explanation for the decreased risk for illness among children in child-care centers compared with that among children in child-care homes, 11 results of our validation study indicate that it is unlikely to explain all the differences between groups in our study.…”

“…Scandinavian studies using provider data have reported comparable or slightly elevated risks for absence due to illness among children in child-care centers. [18][19][20] However, absence due to illness may be a poor measure of illness, 11 and providers in the 3-family systems in Scandinavia receive much more training and support than do those in most child-care homes in the United States. Other studies comparing the risk for illness among children in various forms of child-care facilities in the United States have been based on information from parents 7,8,15 or from health care records.…”

Emergency Department and Urgent Care for Children Excluded From Child Care

“…[8][9][10][11] Unnecessary exclusions place a substantial burden on working families, businesses, and health care resources. 1,9,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Nationally, an estimated 44 million workers lack any paid sick leave benefits to care for sick children, disproportionately affecting poor and minority families. 19 The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in its publication Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards for Out-ofHome Child Care and Early Education Programs, 20 outlined clear child care illness exclusion guidelines, particularly if the child cannot participate comfortably in activities or needs more attention that staff can provide safely.…”