Health is Wealth

For the health and well being of the children in our care and our staff, it is vital to maintain a strict wellness policy. For that reason, Life Prep Early Learning Center reserves the right to temporarily deny any child admittance to the school for reasons of obvious illness, or to request early departure should symptoms become apparent during the course of the day. Any child who seems lethargic and unable to participate in our normal program, for any reason, will be sent home. These days especially, we must ensure the continued good health of everyone at the center. We wholeheartedly understand that you may be a working parent and we will try to accommodate you as much as possible, without putting others at risk. We ask for parents to assist, by keeping sick children at home. In the event, you must keep your child home five or more consecutive school days, please return with a medical release from your physician.

When a child may not attend school

  • Fever: Children must adventure at home if their temperature is 100.0 or higher and must stay home the next day for observation. Children must be free of fever (any temperature above 98.6 degrees) for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. The same policy applies if your child develops a fever at home. They must be fever free (any temperature above 98.6 degrees) for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.

  • Rash: Any rash other than a common diaper rash or skin irritation could result in your child having to adventure, at home. Please provide an evaluation and diagnosis from your child’s physician, in writing, of exactly what it is. They may return to school based on your child physician’s evaluation, and clearance that it is not contagious.

  • Conjunctivitis (pink eye): Children must adventure at home if there appears to be an unusual amount of discharge from or irritation to their eye(s) and must stay home the next day for observation. Before returning to school they will need an evaluation and diagnosis from their doctor in writing of exactly what it is. If the diagnosis is BACTERIAL CONJUNCTIVITIS children must have received at least 24 hours of treatment.
    If the diagnosis is VIRAL CONJUNCTIVITIS your child may return AS LONG AS THERE IS NO DISCHARGE. If in fact, they do not have “pink eye” we need a doctor’s note with a diagnosis and a clearance that it is not contagious.

  • Thick White, Green or Yellow Discharge: Children must adventure at home if they appear to have any thick white, green or yellow discharge. This is often indicative of an infection. Please observe your child the next day. Before returning to school they will need an evaluation and diagnosis from their doctor in writing and at least 24 hours of treatment. If in fact they do not have an infection we need a doctor’s note with a diagnosis of exactly what it is, with a clearance that it is not contagious. The Department of Health and most doctors are of the opinion that once on antibiotics for 24 hours, the discharge is no longer contagious even though it may persist for up to two weeks. We support this.

  • Diarrhea: Children must adventure at home if they have three or more loose bowel movements in one day and must stay home the next day for observation. Before returning to school (after the day of observation) children must be free from diarrhea for 24 hours with at least 1 regular bowel movement. If your child has one or more loose bowel movements on their first day back, WE WILL FIND YOU, lol. Seriously, we will ask you to return for immediate pick-up.

  • Vomiting: Children must adventure home if they vomit. They must stay home the next day for observation. Before returning to school (after the day of observation) children must be symptom free, with no vomiting for at least 24 hours.

  • Persistent Hacking Cough: Children must adventure at home if they have a persistent hacking cough and must stay home the next day for observation. Before returning to school they will need an evaluation and diagnosis from their doctor in writing and at least 24 hours of treatment. If in fact they do not require any treatment you should provide a doctor’s note with a diagnosis of exactly what it is with a clearance that it is not contagious.

  • Lice: Children will not be readmitted until 24 hours after treatment and must be nit free. The Director or a Lead Teacher will make an evaluation and determine if the child can be readmitted.

Common Cold Policy

Children suffering from a common cold will be assessed on an individual basis.

Factors of consideration include the developmental level of your child in congruence with our ability to limit the spread of germs.

The younger the child, the more difficult it is to keep the spread of germs down. For example: hand to face contact, mouthing of toys, uncontrolled nasal discharge, uncovered sneezing and coughing etc.

Medication Administration Policy

Medications both prescription and over-the-counter are rarely given at school; the only exceptions involve special or serious problems where it deemed absolutely necessary by the physician that the medication be given during school hours. It is highly recommended, that parents, with the help of your child’s physician, work out a schedule of giving medication at home, outside school hours, if possible.

IF MEDICATION IS TO BE ADMINISTERED AT SCHOOL, ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS MUST BE MET

  1. A signed request from a licensed physician/dentist specifying the condition for which the medication is to be given, the name, dosage, route, side effect and specific instructions for emergency treatment must be on file at school. School staff is not authorized to determine when an “as needed” medication is to be given.

  2. Specific instructions are necessary.

  3. A signed request from the parent/guardian must be on file at school.

  4. Medication must be in your child’s original, labeled pharmacy container written in English.

  5. All liquid medication must be accompanied by an appropriate measuring device.

  6. A separate form is required for each medication.

    Medication Administration Form

COVID-19 Policy

Updated January 15, 2022

Exposure:
If, within the last 5 days, any member of your household has a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, or any member of your household who is not immune (as defined below) has been in Close Contact with anyone who has a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, then all members of your household who are not immune must remain out of the center. For example, if a member of your household has been excluded from school due to a possible exposure, all members of your household who are not immune must remain out consistent with Life Prep’s COVID-19 exclusion and return requirements.

Symptoms:
All symptomatic individuals (including any immune individuals) and any members of that symptomatic individual’s household who are not immune and who have been excluded under the Center Health Check and Illness Policy-COVID-19 must remain out of the center, unless cleared to return.

Individuals will be considered “immune” commencing:

  • For vaccinated individual: Two weeks after completing the full course of vaccination.

  • For previously positive individual (with lab-confirmed case): five (5) days after the onset of symptoms, or, in the case of an asymptomatic individual, five (5) days after the date tested.

Travel:

  • If you have traveled internationally within the last five days, you must remain out of the center unless you were fully vaccinated at the time of travel.

  • After the applicable exclusion period has passed, you/your household may return provided these three things have happened:
    (a) At least five days has passed since anyone in your household first experienced symptoms; and
    (b) Symptoms have improved for anyone in your household that experienced symptoms (for example, cough or shortness of breath has improved); and
    (c) Your household has been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducers.

    Please note, depending on the circumstances we may require clearance from a medical provider before returning to the center will be allowed.

HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS: means anyone living or present in the household on a regular basis (e.g. houseguests, nannies, caregivers, home health workers, contractors, etc.) and includes anyone with pick up or drop off privileges at the center.

CLOSE CONTACT: Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic individuals, 2 days prior to test date).

Factors to consider in determining Close Contact include proximity, duration of exposure, whether the infected individual was symptomatic and/or generating respiratory aerosols (e.g., was coughing, singing, shouting), and other environmental factors (crowding, adequacy of ventilation, whether exposure was indoors or outdoors). Masks are not a substitute for social distancing. Consequently, when determining Close Contact for members of the general public, the determination should be made irrespective of whether the contact was wearing respiratory PPE or fabric face coverings.

CENTER HEALTH CHECK AND ILLNESS POLICY—COVID-19

ILLNESS:

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, our Sick Adventure Policy (both COVID and Non-COVID provisions) applies to all staff, children and their household members. The final decision on whether to exclude an individual from the program due to illness will be made by the child care center.

For your child's comfort, and to reduce the risk of contagion, children must be picked up within 1 hour of notification of illness. Until then, your child will be kept comfortable and will continue to be observed for symptoms.

DAILY HEALTH CHECK:

All staff, families, children and their household members must conduct a check before coming into the center. Should you or any household member have any of the following COVID-19-like symptoms during the preceding 72 hours, we ask you to remain out of the center and notify the center.

  • Cough

  • Sore Throat

  • Muscle Aches

  • Difficulty Breathing

  • New Loss of Taste or Smell

  • Fever at or above the threshold temperature of 100.4° F (or would have, but for the use of fever-reducers). The threshold temperature is 100.4° F, unless a LOWER threshold temperature is imposed in the local jurisdiction or by the specific center.

All staff, families, children and their household members must submit to a temperature check upon arrival at the center and must provide complete and accurate responses to the Daily Health Check. Anyone refusing to comply will not be permitted entry. The Daily Health Check questions and the temperature threshold may be updated from time to time. All symptomatic individuals (including any immune individuals), and any members of the symptomatic individual’s household who are not immune must remain out of the center, unless cleared to return.

Note: If the exclusionary symptom has already been cleared, then a “yes” to the continued presence of a cleared symptom will not result in exclusion.

SYMPTOMS—RETURNING AFTER EXCLUSION:
Consistent with our COVID-19 Policy, a symptomatic household will be required to remain out of the center for at least five days. There is an option for a household to return earlier following an exclusion due to symptoms:

PCR Clearance to Return: If the household provides a copy of a negative PCR (or other molecular) test result for the symptomatic individual(s) showing the name, date of test and date of result, then the household will be cleared to return and the five (5) day exclusion period will not apply. Antigen tests will NOT be accepted for this clearance option.

Early return requirements may change, from time to time, based on current conditions. Once all COVID-19 concerns have been cleared, all returns must still comply with standard (non-COVID) return requirements per Life Prep Sick Adventures.

REPORTING SUSPECTED OR CONFIRMED CASE IN HOUSEHOLD:
Notify us immediately if you become aware of any suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in your household occurring within 14 days prior to or 48 hours after any member of your household has been present at the center.