Excessive Emergent and Urgent Care for Children in Child Care

Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend removing an ill child from child care only if the staff-to-child ratio is inadequate to provide needed care or the child cannot participate comfortably in activities. Medical evaluation before a return to child care is explicitly not recommended.

To understand the prevalence and characteristics of emergency department (ED) and urgent-care use for sick children unable to attend child care, investigators conducted a national survey of 640 parents of children 0 to 5 years of age in child care. Overall, 88% of parents would take their child to a medical provider if the child were sick and unable to attend child care. A total of 38% of parents required a doctor's note either for t…