Medical Policy

Family Center Medical Policy

Our goal is to provide a safe and healthy environment for families at Penn.

Having ill children at the center presents the very real possibility that others can be infected. While we understand that parents need to be at work or in class, we need to enforce this policy to protect all children and staff from unnecessary exposure to communicable disease. We follow the guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association. Parents who repeatedly fail to follow policies related to keeping children at home when they are ill will lose their Family Center membership.

When a Child Needs to Stay at Home

  • A child's temperature should be normal without medication for 24-hours before the child is brought to the center. If your child has a fever in the evening, they should not be brought to the center in the morning, even if their temperature is normal. Fever is defined as 100.6 F or higher.
  • If your child vomits during the night, they should not be brought into the center the next day, unless it is certain that the vomiting was not due to an infectious condition.
  • Diarrhea, as defined by the CDC, consists of more than one abnormally loose stool. A child should not return to the center until their bowel movements have returned to a normal.
  • Conjunctivitis (Pinkeye): a child with pinkeye must be on medication before returning to the center.
  • Rash: body rash, not associated with diapering, heat or allergic reactions, especially with fever or itching.
  • Sore throat coupled with a fever or swollen neck glands.
  • Lice, Scabies: Children must not return to the center until they are free of lice and nits (eggs). Children with scabies can return after treatment.
  • If your child is unusually tired, pale, shows a lack of appetite, is difficult to wake, confused, or irritable. This is sufficient reason to keep a child home.

Vaccination

All full time students at Penn are required to have immunizations prior to arriving on campus. We encourage all family members and children to receive the same immunizations to protect against serious illness. Information about required vaccinations can be found on the Student Health Website.