How to help your caregiver with this topic

• If your child does need a prescription, ask for medicine that can be given by you, at home. Make sure to watch for any side effects before your child goes back to child care.



• Read your child care program’s policy on medicine BEFORE you child needs it. State regulations may prevent caregiver from giving any or some medicines.



• If medicine needs to be given at the program, work with your child’s health care provider to make sure your caregiver has the correct information and training to give each specific medicine.



• Always provide the original labeled container of medicine. Ask your pharmacist to divide the medicine into 2 labeled containers – one for home and one for the child care program.



• When your child starts to get sick, try to stay home with him/her. You do your caregiver a favor by keeping germs at home. You help yourself by lessening the time you may have to take off work if the illness/cold gets worse. If your employer is not aware of the Family Medical Leave Act, share with them the sections of the Act that highlight the need for employers to offer leave to care for sick family members.



• Keep your own medicines (for example, in a purse) out of reach from the children when you visit the program.