As any parent who works outside the home will tell you, it’s not a question of whether you’ll have to take time off work to care for a sick tot: it’s a question of when.

A U.S. survey cited in the Canadian Paediatric Society’s recent review of daycare centres noted that working moms are typically absent from work between 5.6 and 28.8 days to care for sick children. (There were no corresponding stats cited for dads.) Not surprisingly, 70 per cent of moms express interest in having access to so-called “sick child” childcare services: either in-home childcare services or a sick room at the child’s regular daycare centre.

In its review, which was published this past January, the Canadian Paediatric Society suggested that both employers and parents would benefit from the development of additional sick-child care centres staffed by health care providers here in Canada. (“At present, it is unknown how many
centres exist in Canada,” the CPS noted.)

The CPS recommended that all childcare centres develop written policies that “contain information on recognizing an emergent illness or injury and when to call for an ambulance, proper use of antibiotics, characteristics of common paediatric infections and procedures on childcare exclusion.”

“Employers should consider allowing their employees to take time off work, without penalty, to care for their sick children who need to be excluded from child care,” the CPS added.