N.J. Admin. Code § 3A:52-7.1

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 8, April 15, 2024

Section 3A:52-7.1 - Illnesses and communicable diseases

(a) A center that seeks to serve any children who have any of the illnesses, symptoms of illness, or diseases specified in (c) and (d) below shall meet all applicable provisions of this subchapter and all provisions of N.J.A.C. 3A:52-8.

(b) Under no circumstances shall any center serve or admit any child who has any illness, symptom of illness or disease that a health care provider has determined requires the child to be:

1. Confined to home under a health care provider's immediate care; or

2. Admitted to a hospital for medical care and treatment.

(c) The following provisions relate to illness and/or symptoms of illness:

1. A center serving well children shall not permit a child who has any of the illnesses or symptoms of illness specified in (c)1i through xiii below to be admitted to the center on a given day unless medical diagnosis from a health care provider, which has been communicated to the center in writing, or verbally with a written follow-up, indicates that the child poses no serious health risk to himself or herself or to other children. Such illnesses or symptoms of illness shall include, but not be limited to, any of the following:

i. Severe pain or discomfort;

ii. Acute diarrhea, characterized as twice the child's usual frequency of bowel movements with a change to a looser consistency within a period of 24 hours, or bloody diarrhea;

iii. Two or more episodes of acute vomiting within a period of 24 hours;

iv. Elevated oral temperature of 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit or over or axillary temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or over in conjunction with behavior changes;

v. Lethargy that is more than expected tiredness;

vi. Yellow eyes or jaundiced skin;

vii. Red eyes with discharge;

viii. Infected, untreated skin patches;

ix. Difficult rapid breathing or severe coughing;

x. Skin rashes in conjunction with fever or behavior changes;

xi. Weeping or bleeding skin lesions that have not been treated by a health care provider;

xii. Mouth sores with drooling; or

xiii. Stiff neck.

2. Once the child is symptom-free, or a health care provider indicates that the child poses no serious health risk to himself or herself or to other children, the child may return to the center.

3. If a child who has already been admitted to the center manifests any of the illnesses or symptoms of illness specified in (c)1 above, the center shall remove the child from the group of well children to a separate room or area, as specified in N.J.A.C. 3A:52-5.3(q)4, until:

i. He or she can be taken from the center; or

ii. The director or his or her designee has communicated verbally with a health care provider, who indicates that the child poses no serious health risk to himself or herself or to other children, at which time the child may return to the group.

4. The center may exclude a child whose illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities or results in a greater need for care than the staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children at the center.

(d) The following provisions relate to excludable communicable diseases:

1. The center shall not permit a child or staff member with an excludable communicable disease, as set forth in the Department of Health's Reporting Requirements for Communicable Diseases and Work-Related Conditions Quick Reference Guide, revised July 2011, and available at http://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/reportable_disease_magnet.pdf, incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented to be admitted to or remain at the center, until:

i. A note from the child's or staff member's health care provider states that the child or staff member, respectively, has been diagnosed and presents no risk to himself, herself, or to others;

ii. The center has contacted the Communicable Disease Program in the State Department of Health and Senior Services, or the local health department pediatric health consultant, and is told the child or staff member poses no health risk to others; or

iii. If the child or staff member has chicken pox, the center obtains a note from the parent or staff member stating that all sores have dried and crusted.

N.J. Admin. Code § 3A:52-7.1

Administrative Change, 49 N.J.R. 98a.

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 413(a), effective 3/6/2017