Parents report their child’s contagious diseases to the group leaders.

The group leaders consult with management and, if necessary, with the GGD (Public Health Service). With the parents’ permission, the GGD may request information from the GP.

The GGD advises measures depending on the illness:

• Not admitting the sick child due to the risk to other children; this is called exclusion.
• Treating the sick child to prevent the spread of the disease.
• Informing parents of other children about the illness so they can be alert for symptoms.
• Vaccinating other children or giving medication as a precaution.
• Often, no special measures are necessary.

Every staff member knows the problem: a child who is listless and sniffly and isn’t participating well in the group. Is this child sick or not? And what do you do about it?

In cases of doubt, it is useful to observe the child closely.

• Is the child playing as they usually do?
• Is the child talking as they usually do?
• Are they responding to what you say or do?
• Do they feel warm to the touch?
• Are they crying more often or longer than usual?
• Do they have regular wet diapers?
• Are they going to the toilet, and what is the result?
• Do they want to lie down all the time or are they sleeping more than usual?
• Is the child complaining of pain?
• Does the child have diarrhea or are they vomiting? (2 times in an hour)

Not every change in behavior is caused by illness, and it is not the staff member’s job to make a diagnosis. The point is for the staff member to decide whether the child can stay in the group or if the parents should be notified.

The decision of whether or not a child can stay in the group is, in principle, made by the group leaders. The well-being of the sick child comes first, but the interests of the other children and the staff must also be considered. A child who feels unwell and cannot participate in the normal daily program is better off not staying at The Clown Club. We have very few resources here to give a sick child the necessary extra attention.

The workload for staff can also be a reason to have the child picked up. If a child with diarrhea seems to feel fine otherwise but needs a complete change every hour, including a bath and clean clothes, this gives the staff so much extra work that the normal program for the other children is compromised. Finally, in the case of contagious diseases, protecting the health of group mates can be a reason not to admit the child. However, excluding sick children for this reason only happens with a few very serious infectious diseases and always in consultation with the GGD.

If a child has a fever of 38.5 degrees (or more), parents are requested to come and pick up their child. Fever is not the only indicator; a child can also be sick without a fever. With 2 or more symptoms of illness, the parent is requested to pick up the child. If a child clearly feels unwell and the group leaders are unsure if they can stay in the group, they will contact the parents. Sometimes you get information from the parent that can explain the child’s behavior, for example, that the child went to bed very late. If the staff member believes the child should be picked up, she will discuss this with the parent and arrangements will be made regarding the time the child will be picked up and what will be done with the child until then. It is often difficult, especially for working parents, to have to pick up their child unexpectedly. That is why it is important that they are well-informed in advance about the rules The Clown Club has regarding the admission of sick children. We only call parents when we find it absolutely necessary for their child to be picked up. If we ask you to pick up your child, we also expect parents to come as soon as possible or arrange for someone to pick up the child as quickly as possible.

The child may return to The Clown Club once they have fully recovered. This means the child has been fever-free for 24 hours. We expect the child to stay home if they have vomited or had diarrhea 2 or more times during the night.

All children at The Clown Club are required to register with the child health center (consultatiebureau) and ensure 100% compliance with vaccinations.

Medication: At The Clown Club, medication is administered under certain conditions. For this, parents must fill out and sign a form. The medication is administered to the child in the presence of a colleague to prevent errors. Medications we do not administer are:

• Aspirin/paracetamol.
• Medications without a package leaflet.
• Medications that have passed their expiration date.
• Medicines that require a specific action. This means actions such as giving an injection. Only medical personnel are authorized to do this.

We only give medication prescribed by your own GP.

Before we can give a child medication, a consent form must be filled out. This form is printed and available in the groups and can be filled out when you drop off your child. You can also find the consent form for administering medication in the KidsKonnect app. To save time, the form could be printed and filled out at home (if necessary). The teachers in the group will record the administration of the medication in the KidsKonnect app.