Guidelines for When to Keep Your Child at Home
All children get sick some time or another during their school years. School nurses are
licensed to identify symptoms of communicable and infectious health conditions. If your
child should develop symptoms, he/she must be picked up from school. Below are the
guidelines that we suggest for when to keep your child at home.
● Fever: 100 degrees or above. Keep your child home until he/she is fever free for a
full 24 hours without the help of medication. Never give a child under the age of 18
aspirin unless directed by a physician.
● Vomiting: A child should not attend school if:
o He/she has vomited once in the last 24 hours and has other symptoms
(fever, diarrhea, etc.)
o He/she has vomited 2 or more times within the last 24 hours regardless of
other symptoms being present.
▪ If a child is vomiting, avoid milk products for 24 hours but encourage
clear fluids (water, flat 7-up or ginger ale, Gatorade).
● Diarrhea: A child should not attend school if:
o He/she has had one diarrhea episode in the last 24 hours and has other
symptoms (vomiting, fever, etc.).
o He/she has had 2 or more diarrhea episodes in the last 24 hours regardless
of other symptoms being present.
▪ Encourage liquids until diarrhea has stopped.
● Contagious Rash: Do not attend school until the rash has been diagnosed and
treatment has begun.
● Pink Eye: The child may return to school after treatment has been given for 24
hours.
● Strep Throat: The child may return to school after treatment has been given for 24
hours.
● Flu: The child may return to school when fever free for 24 hours without the help
of fever reducing medications. Please notify the school nurse if your child is
diagnosed with the flu.
● Ringworm: The child may return to school after treatment has started.
Proof of treatment or clearance from the healthcare provider is required if requested by the
school nurse.
There are times when your child looks and feels like he/she is too ill to study or learn in
school. If so, there is no point in being at school.
Allowing your child to stay home when ill will help reduce the amount of time required for
your child to recover and it reduces the chance of others becoming infected.
Proper and frequent hand washing is the best way to prevent illness.
Please be sure your child's school has updated phone numbers to contact you or the
emergency contact in case your child becomes ill at school and it is necessary for him/her
to go home.