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WELL CHILD POLICY

Most children get sick at one point or another during the school year.  It can be very disappointing when you have an event or field trip planned and your children get sick.  We ask that all parents make an informed decision when determining if you should bring your child to an event.  For the protection of all of our B.E.E.C.H. children we ask you to please follow the below guidelines and only bring WELL CHILDREN to events:

What is a well child?  A WELL CHILD:

  1. Has been FEVER FREE without using fever reducing medications (examples Tylenol, Advil, etc.) for at least 48 hours.
  2. Has had NO Vomiting or Diarrhea without using anitemetics or antidiarrheals for at least 48 hours.
  3. Does NOT have a runny nose and has no green or yellow nasal discharge.  If bacterial and treated with antibiotics, may participate after a full 48 hours of taking antibiotics.  If viral please don't participate for at least 7 days AFTER onset of symptoms or until symptoms are gone.
  4. Does NOT have a Cough and is not coughing up green or yellow discharge from his/her lungs.
  5. Does NOT have an Unexplained Rash.
  6. Does NOT have an Eye Infection.  If the child had a recent eye infection and they have been on antibiotics for at least 48 hours they may participate.  If no antibiotics, then please keep the child home for at least 48 hours AFTER the eyes are completely CLEAR and have NO drainage or discharge.  
  7. Does NOT have Lice.  Children and family members infected with lice should stay home until they have been treated and there have been NO signs of lice or eggs evident for at least 72 hours.
  8. Does NOT have a skin infection like impetigo, boils, scabies, ringworm, staph, etc.  Children that have had a recent skin infection should be kept home for at least 48 hours after treatment by a doctor and until applicable lesions have crusted and healed. 
  9. Does NOT have a Virus with or without fever for at least 5 days.
  10. Does NOT have the FLU. 
  11. Does NOT have STREP or RSV.
  12. Does NOT have COVID and has NOT been in contact with someone in the last 10 days that had a POSITIVE Covid test.
  13. Does NOT have a communicable illness such as, but not limited to,  Strep, Chickenpox, Mumps, Measles, Pink Eye, Rubella, Pertussis, Fifth's Disease, Flu, Mono, Meningitis, Roseola, Pneumonia, Bronchitis, RSV, Scabies, Staph, Scarlett Fever, etc.

If your child is exhibiting any of the above symptoms at a BEECH event, you will be asked to remove the child.  We ask that if your child is exhibiting the symptoms of an infectious or communicable disease that you keep ALL the children in your household home so as not to infect others.  Children with a communicable disease may not participate in BEECH activities until well.  In determining if your child is ready to come back to BEECH activities we ask you to keep the above and below guidelines in mind.  These lists are not all inclusive of every infectious or communicable disease.  Please be kind to fellow members and their families and help keep them safe.  Please remember that some of our Members, their children or other family members have underlying health conditions that may put them at much higher risk of serious illness, hospitalization or death if they are exposed to an infectious or communicable disease.  Please keep their welfare in mind when deciding if you should attend an event.  It is better to air on the side of caution if you think your child might be contagious and stay home. 

Below you will find a few things to keep mind regarding common childhood illnesses, (please note the below list is not inclusive of every possible infection your child may have nor does it constitute medical advice). Please talk to your doctor and use common sense when trying to decide if your child should attend a BEECH event.  Please stay home if you think your child or a family member might be contagious.  

  1. Children with Chickenpox should be kept home for at least 7 days after the onset of rash and until all sores are crusted.
  2. Children with bacterial infections that are being treated with antibiotics should stay home until they have taken the antibiotics for at least 48 hours and are fever free (without use of fever reducing medications).  
  3. Children with any Viral infections should stay home at least 7 days or until symptom and fever-free (without use of fever reducing medications).  
  4. The Flu (Influenza) is usually contagious for a week after symptoms develop and RSV is typically contagious up to 8 days after symptoms develop.  Please keep sick children home accordingly.  Both RSV and Flu are typically contagious for 1-3 days BEFORE the onset of symptoms so please keep well siblings of a sick child home also.
  5. Children with Meningitis need to stay home until completely recovered and a doctor has given them a written release to participate in activities.
  6. Children with Mononucleosis (MONO) should stay home until the doctor has given them permission to attend BEECH activities.  Mono symptoms can often mimic other illnesses like flu.  If your child seems to be taking a long time getting better and/or is extremely fatigued please consult your doctor.
  7. Children with Measles or Rubella should stay home for at least 8 days after the onset of the rash or until it is gone.  Children not vaccinated should stay home at least 2 weeks after onset.  Please note that Rubella can be very dangerous to pregnant women and many of our BEECH moms may be expecting.
  8. Children with Strep should not participate in any BEECH activity until on antibiotics for at least 48 hours.  Strep is very contagious, can often present without any symptoms, and can lead to more serious illnesses.  Children with strep not treated with antibiotics should not participate in any BEECH activities until proof of a negative strep test can be provided.  
  9. Children with Pertussis (Whooping Cough) should not participate for at least 2 weeks after antibiotic treatment is started.  If not treated with antibiotics, the child should not participate for at least 21 days.
  10. Children with Mumps should not participate for at least 10 days after the swelling appears or until it is gone.  If the child has not been vaccinated please keep them home at least 2 weeks after onset.  Please remember that mumps can sometimes cause sterility, esp. in boys.
  11. Children with Fifths Disease should stay home until 24 hours After the appearance of a rash on the face that looks like slapped cheeks.  Please note that Fifths Disease can be very dangerous to pregnant women.  It also has a long incubation period between exposure and onset of symptoms of approximately 4-12 days.  If you or your other children have not yet had Fifths Disease please consider avoiding BEECH events until the incubation period has passed - which would be 12 days after the slapped cheek looking rash has appeared on the child infected.  
  12. Children with Roseola typically have a fever for 3-5 days and then get a rash.  Once the rash appears the child is usually no longer contagious.  Please wait at least 24 hours after appearance of the rash to participate in a BEECH event.  
  13. Children with Giardiasis should not participate in events until at least 4 days after drug treatment by a doctor.
  14. Children with Hepatitis should not participate for at least 7 days after the onset and until the diarrhea stops.  A medical release is required by your doctor.  
  15. Children with Pinworm should be kept home until at least 48 hours after the first drug treatment by doctor, but preferably until after the 2nd dose of medication is given 2 weeks later.  Please note that pinworm eggs remain contagious for 2-3 weeks and are easily spread to surfaces where they can be picked up by other children.
  16. Please remember if your child is on antibiotics it is important to take the medication as directed and to finish ALL the medication prescribed by your doctor.  Failing to do so can cause a rebound infection, and also increases antibiotic resistance.  

COVID-19 Guildelines:

Unfortunately, Covid is still around and looks like it is here to stay. If you think you might have Covid or if you know you were exposed to Covid -
Please Stay Home!! Covid Symptoms vary depending on the variant that you contract.  Newer versions of Covid seem to be causing a lot of GI symptoms (Abdominal pain, constipation, N/V, diarrhea) in some people, while in others it is still causing a lot of the typical Respiratory symptoms. 

Possible COVID SYMPTOMS:  (Please note not everyone will get every symptom!)  Fatigue, Fever, Chills, Cough, Sore Throat,  Difficulty Breathing, Shortness of Breath, Headache, Muscle or Joint or Body aches, Excessive Sneezing, Congestion and/or Runny Nose, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, this list may not be all inclusive.  Symptoms may also change with new variants.

TESTING:  If members are experiencing Covid symptoms or they know they were exposed to Covid, they should test themselves and their children for Covid before attending an event.  Please be aware if you get a negative test result you should test again in 48 hours, if it's still negative, you should test again in 48 hours, and if still negative you should test again in 48 hours.  If you still don't have symptoms, and the test has continued to be negative you probably don't have Covid.  If you were asymptomatic and suddenly have symptoms you should resume the testing protocol.  Please note that you are contagious 2 days PRIOR to your symptoms or a postive test.

COVID & BEECH:  It is important if you think you may have COVID or been exposed to someone with Covid and/or a Positive COVID test that you do NOT participate in BEECH events until you have either reached the end of the incubation period without testing positive or developing symptoms or you have reached the end of the possible contagion period if you were symptomatic with COVID.  We know that the CDC has varying Guidelines on isolation based on how ill you were, and wearing masks etc.  The guidelines are honestly too complicated and each persons situation will be different.  Therefore, BEECH is going to take a simple stance: 
* If you and/or your family members have COVID, or were exposed to someone with COVID:

1 - Please do NOT attend a BEECH event until 10 days from the day that the LAST person in your household tested positive for Covid.

2 - Or 10 days from the 1st day that the LAST person in your household developed Covid Symptoms.

3 - OR if exposed to someone with a Positive Covid test but asymptomatic, please do NOT attend BEECH Events for at least 10 days from the last exposure to the person with the positive Covid test as long as your household continues to remain symptom free.

Please remember that COVID can be very serious for certain people, or those with underlying conditions.  Please be considerate, and think of others, if you think you might have or been exposed to COVID.  It is better to miss an event or two, then risk someone else's health and family.

We encourage our members to consult doctors when their children are sick.  The above guidelines are not all-inclusive of every illness and do not constitute medical advice - just guidelines to keep in mind when deciding whether or not your child is well enough to attend a BEECH event.  Please keep in mind that some members may be pregnant or they or their children may have medical conditions that make them more susceptible to illness or more difficult to treat once they get ill.  We understand that children do get sick but we would like to help contain the spread of illness if possible so please be considerate of other members and stay home if you, your spouse, or your children are showing signs of illness, feeling unwell or have a known Covid exposure.

If you attend a BEECH event and later find out that you were contagious with a serious illness like measles, meningitis, TB, COVID, etc. please consider notifying someone on the board.  Also please consider notifying someone in the case of LICE infection since it is very contagious, a nuisance and often difficult to get rid of.  We will keep your information confidential but will notify other members that attended the event of the risk of exposure.

REMEMBER - IF YOU or YOUR KIDS ARE /OR MIGHT BE SICK PLEASE STAY HOME!!!