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Combating flu season in your daycare center

As flu season approaches, daycare centers face the challenge of keeping children, staff, and families healthy. A single case can quickly lead to an outbreak, affecting attendance, staff morale, and revenue.

The good news? You can take steps to reduce the risk of spreading illness and keep your center running smoothly. Here are some essential tips for combating flu season in your daycare center.

Implement (and enforce!) a strict sick policy

One of the most effective ways to prevent the flu from spreading is to have a clear and consistent sick policy. Ensure parents understand the symptoms that require keeping their child home—fever, vomiting, persistent cough, or flu-like symptoms. LilyPad makes communicating these guidelines with parents through the app easy, sending reminders as flu season peaks.

Tip: Establish a return-to-care policy requiring children to be fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication before returning to the center. This policy reduces the chance of reinfection.

Emphasize hand hygiene

Frequent handwashing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Train staff to encourage children to wash their hands regularly after sneezing, before eating, and after using the bathroom. Set up kid-friendly handwashing stations and make it a fun part of their daily routine.

Tip: Provide hand sanitizers in every classroom and common area for quick use when handwashing isn’t possible.

Disinfect high-touch areas

Toys, tables, and other high-touch surfaces can harbor flu viruses for hours. Ensure your staff is trained to regularly clean and disinfect toys, doorknobs, and shared spaces using approved sanitizing products. Incorporate this into the daily routine to minimize contamination.

Tip: Create a cleaning schedule and assign specific duties to staff members. Disinfect all areas thoroughly during nap times or at the end of the day.

Monitor and isolate

Teach staff to be vigilant in monitoring children for flu symptoms throughout the day. If a child shows signs of illness, separate them from the rest of the class and notify parents immediately. Quick action can prevent an outbreak from spreading across the center.

Tip: Even if you’re not using LilyPad, maintaining a log of symptoms and absences can help track potential outbreaks. Digital logs are a great way to stay organized and easily communicate with parents.