When does my child need to stay home from daycare?
Most guidance agrees a child should stay home for fever with behaviour change, repeated vomiting or diarrhea, an uncontrolled rash, or if they're too unwell to join normal activities. Canadian sources encourage checking your own daycare's written policy, since Canada does not set one national numeric rule.
American paediatric guidance (AAP, CDC) gives more specific thresholds (e.g. exact fever number, vomiting twice in 24 hours) than Canadian Paediatric Society materials, which focus more on symptom red flags and following your child care centre's individual policy.
Good
Based on paediatric guideline bodies (CPS, AAP, CDC) rather than randomized trials; these are consensus-based public health recommendations, not experimental studies, so agreement across guidelines is the main strength.
What the evidence says
Canada's Caring for Kids (Canadian Paediatric Society) advises telling your child care provider about any symptoms and asking whether your child should stay home that day, since individual centres follow their own written illness policies. CPS flags specific warning signs that need a doctor's attention regardless of daycare rules: fever lasting more than 72 hours, a cough that won't quit after a week or causes choking, unusual sleepiness, inconsolable crying, fast or laboured breathing, diarrhea in a baby under 6 months, bloody or black stools, or vomiting for more than 4 to 6 hours. American paediatric guidance (AAP/HealthyChildren.org and CDC) gives more specific everyday thresholds many Canadian daycares also use in practice: fever over 38.3°C with a behaviour change or other symptoms, vomiting two or more times in 24 hours, diarrhea the diaper can't contain or that causes accidents, ongoing abdominal pain, a new rapidly spreading rash, or any illness severe enough that staff can't safely care for the other children.
A plain cold, runny nose, or mild ear infection without fever or behaviour change usually does not require staying home. Because Canada leaves exact exclusion thresholds to provincial and individual centre policy rather than a single national number, the most reliable answer for your situation is your own daycare's written sick-child policy, combined with watching for the red-flag symptoms above.
Sources
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Guideline
When to Keep Your Child Home From Child Care
HealthyChildren.org (AAP)
Specific fever, vomiting, diarrhea and rash thresholds for exclusion.
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Guideline
Common infections and your child
Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids
Canadian red-flag symptoms; advises checking with your daycare's policy.
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Guideline
When Students or Staff are Sick
CDC
Recent US public health criteria for staying home and returning.
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Guideline
Resources for Child Care Providers (Managing Infections chart)
Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids
Canadian chart on illness signs and when to exclude from child care.
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Guideline
Health implications of children in child care centres Part B
Canadian Paediatric Society
Recommends every centre have a written, parent-shared sick-child policy.
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Guideline
Day care health risks
MedlinePlus
General overview of common daycare illnesses and prevention steps.
✓Reviewed by CH, MD, FRCPC
Reviewed by a specialist physician certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, who has read this answer against the sources listed above and confirmed it reflects them. That is not medical advice about your child. How we review
Answer checked August 2, 2026