Showing up to school every day is critical for children’s well-being, engagement and learning.

When your child is sick, do they always have to stay home from from school?  Not always—there are many times when it is okay for a child to come to school when they have mild symptoms.  

Make sure to send children to school if they are:

• Generally healthy and well.
• Participating in usual day-to-day activities.
• Children can even go to school if they:
• Have a mild cold, which may include a runny nose and/or cough.
• Have eye drainage without fever, eye pain, or eyelid redness.
• Have a mild stomachache.
• Have a mild rash with no other symptoms.
• Have head lice. Though they are annoying and should be treated, lice are not a reason to exclude a child from school. Note: If live bugs are present, children need to stay home from school.
• Haven’t had a fever overnight and they have not taken fever-reducing medicine during that time.

Avoid keeping children at home unless they are too sick to participate. Please see the Health Guidance for more details. Note that in most situations, a health-care provider’s note is not needed to return.