Caring for the ill child in day care.

Current estimates indicate about 54% of American children have mothers who work outside the home. All children become ill, whether or not their parents are employed. However, for a working mother, even a mild illness can create anxiety, since alternate day care arrangements may be necessary. The problem of caring for the ill child in preschools or day care has received little attention from program planners or policy makers. Most state regulatory policies require exclusion of the ill child from day care. This article discusses recent developments in providing for ill children in day care settings. Four models of providing such care are described and criteria are offered for evaluating ill child care arrangements.