My Child Has a Cold — Can They Go to Daycare? | Daisy Days Sick Policy Guide Regina SK

One of the most common morning dilemmas for licensed daycare parents in Regina SK: your child woke up with a stuffy nose or mild cough. Do they go to daycare? At Daisy Days Daycare, we know this question has real consequences — parents need to work, and missing work for every sniffle isn’t sustainable. Here’s how to navigate it.

The Core Principle: Protect the Group Without Being Unreasonable

Sick child policies at licensed daycares are designed to balance two legitimate needs: protecting vulnerable children in the group (especially infants with less developed immune systems) from preventable illness exposure, while not requiring exclusion for every minor childhood symptom that is a normal part of early childhood group care.

Symptoms That Generally DO NOT Require Exclusion

• Clear runny nose (clear/white mucus): Common cold clear discharge without fever, significant discomfort, or behaviour change — usually NOT an exclusion
• Very mild cough: Occasional cough without fever or respiratory distress
• Occasional sneeze: Not a symptom that indicates isolation-level illness
• Single loose stool: One loose diaper or stool without other symptoms — typically not grounds for exclusion unless repeated

Symptoms That Generally DO Require Exclusion at Licensed Daycares in Saskatchewan

• Fever above 38°C (100.4°F): Any fever above 38°C requires exclusion. The child must be fever-free WITHOUT fever-reducing medication (Tylenol, Advil) for 24 hours before return. Giving fever medication to mask a fever and sending a child to daycare is both a policy violation and an ethical breach.
• Vomiting: Two or more vomiting episodes in a care day require immediate parent pickup. Must be vomit-free for 24 hours before return.
• Diarrhea: Frequent loose stools (3+ per day beyond the child’s norm) require parent pickup. Must be symptom-free for 24 hours before return.
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye): Red eyes with discharge — likely bacterial and highly contagious. Must have 24 hours of antibiotic treatment and significant improvement before return.
• Strep throat (confirmed): 24 hours of antibiotic treatment and symptom improvement before return.
• COVID-19 or other confirmed communicable illness: Follow current public health guidance at the time.
• Significant rash of unknown cause: Until physician clearance.
• Head lice: Until after first treatment and manual removal.
• Coloured mucus WITH fever or behaviour change: Yellow/green thick discharge combined with fever or significant illness signs — requires exclusion.

The “Is My Child Well Enough?” Test

Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Does my child have a fever? If yes → stay home.
2. Is my child significantly different from their normal? Lethargic, unusually clingy, not eating, clearly unwell beyond a runny nose? If yes → stay home.
3. Would I be comfortable if another child with these symptoms attended daycare? If no → keep your child home.

If all three answers allow for attendance — no fever, behaving normally, symptoms you’d tolerate in other children — your child is likely fine to attend licensed daycare with a mild cold.

Never Give Fever Medication to Mask Symptoms

Giving Tylenol or Advil to temporarily reduce a fever and sending a child to daycare is: unfair to other enrolled children and their families; disrespectful to the daycare’s sick child policy; and potentially harmful to the ill child whose immune system needs rest. If your child needed fever medication this morning, they stay home today.

The Backup Plan for Sick Days

Saskatchewan licensed daycares close to sick children frequently — a child in group care averages 8-12 illness episodes per year during their first 1-2 years (a normal outcome of group care that produces long-term immune benefit). Build your backup plan before you need it: our full backup care guide.

→ How educators recognize illness at daycare
→ Full sick child policy guide

Contact Daisy Days Daycare for our specific 2026 illness exclusion criteria.
306-807-3233 | info@daisydaysdaycare.com | 2007 Potts Crescent East, Regina SK S4V 2E5