Child Care Providers' Experiences Caring For Sick Children: Implications For Public Policy

Abstract

This study examines the experiences of preschool and school-age child care providers regarding sick child care. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted of child care providers at every city-sponsored preschool and afterschool program in an urban area in the United States. In addition, random sampling was used to identify home-based child care providers from a list obtained through a child care resources center. In spite of rules requiring that sick children be kept home, child care providers repeatedly described sick children whose health problems made it impossible to provide adequate care for the sick child at the same time as caring for the well children in their care. Problems arose for a range of reasons, including inability to provide sufficient attention to the sick child-s needs, inability to keep a sick child clean and well hydrated in the case of vomiting and diarrhea, spread of infectious diseases, and inability to care for healthy children adequately when meeting the needs of sick children. International public health policy implications for child care and paid family leave are discussed.