Toddler around 2-3 years old biting at daycare, sent home, what to do?

What the evidence says

Biting is one of the most common reasons toddlers are sent home from daycare, and it does not mean something is wrong with your child or your parenting. Canadian guidance from HealthLink BC notes that most children younger than 3 bite someone at least once, and most stop on their own as they develop language and self-control. In this age range (15-36 months), biting usually happens when a child is frustrated, overstimulated, or wants control over a toy or situation, and lacks the words to say so.

What helps: stay calm rather than shaming or physically punishing (never bite back or use physical punishment); name the feeling and model words the child can use instead; give quick, calm attention to the child who was bitten rather than long attention to the biter; and watch for and interrupt the early signs before a bite happens. A Canadian Paediatric Society clinical practice point on daycare bites also confirms that bites rarely transmit infection and rarely cause serious injury, though wound care and basic hygiene are still sensible. If biting continues past age 3, happens very frequently, or comes with other worrying behaviour, it is reasonable to check in with your child's doctor, since ongoing aggression at that age can sometimes signal an underlying issue with emotional regulation or communication that benefits from extra support.

Work with the daycare as a team: ask what triggers they are seeing, whether the room is overstimulating, and whether the same calm, consistent phrases are being used at home and at daycare, since consistency speeds up resolution.