Relationship between day care and health care providers.

Effective control and prevention of infectious diseases in child day care depend on affirmative relationships between parents, day care providers, public health authorities, and primary health care providers (especially pediatricians). The role played by each of these groups varies in accordance with the specific infectious disease problems, legal requirements, and voluntary relationships that exist in a given locality, but each of these roles is important. Major barriers to productive working relationships between day care and health providers are inadequacy of communication channels, uncertainty in role definition, and overlap in function of different health providers. Public health authorities can play a major role in improving the relationship between day care and health providers, largely by disseminating information regarding disease-reporting laws and other legal requirements, prescribed measures for control and prevention of diseases, and resources that are available for these activities.