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Children's health

14th Sep 2021

Mum calls out creche for sending son home over his mild cough- but does she have a point?

Kat O'Connor

“I’m paying €1,645 a month for this, I don’t get money off for having them at home”

One mum has expressed her outrage after her son was sent home from creche because he had a mild cough.

Due to the current Covid guidelines, anyone with suspected Covid symptoms must isolate and get tested.

However, the mum said she is paying for childcare and believes creches can’t send every child home especially as we head into cold and flu season.

She opened up about the incident on the Liveline with Joe Duffy.

The mum explained that her son had a mild cough and was sent home.

Her daughter was a close contact of a positive Covid case and was also asked to remain at home and isolate.

The mum said her children isolated for ten days and had PCR tests with negative results.

She shared: “They eventually let him go back in and I’d say it was about three hours until they called me telling me to pick him up because he had a cough.

“I was like that didn’t make any sense, he’s PCR tested, it’s negative.”

“They said that he was showing symptoms of COVID-19 and he needs to be 48 hours symptom-free.”

The mum expressed her anger over paying childcare fees when her children aren’t even attending the creche.

“The frustrating thing about it is I’m paying €1,645 a month for this, I don’t get money off for having them at home when I’m trying to work from home.”

The mum continued: “We’re going into the winter season, there were four kids sent home from that creche today. That’s four families affected.

“I’m pretty sure none of them have COVID, it is cold and flu season. They’re in a creche, they pick up germs, they feed, they get sick,” she said.

Does the mum have a point? Should NPHET consider changing the Covid measures in childcare facilities like they’re doing for schools?

Or is it better to be cautious and not take any chances with potential Covid cases?