Germs are just a fact of every day life and they certainly abound in a daycare setting. Children can spread germs even when they are not sick themselves and small children cannot be depended upon to cover their mouths and use tissues like adults. Therefore germs spread easily anywhere groups of children gather such as schools and daycare centers. Germs can spread colds, diarrhea, ear infections and even illnesses such as chicken pox, and hepatitis. As a daycare owner, you should have a policy in place for dealing with germs and sick employees and children. Even in the planning stages when starting a daycare, you should think about how you will control the spread of germs in your facility.

One step you should take is to require that all children who attend your daycare are current with immunizations and you should keep immunization records on file just like schools do. This way you can help protect children in your care and curb the spread of serious diseases. In fact, it might even be a requirement for licensing in your state that immunization records are kept on all students enrolled in your daycare. Even if it is not required, it is a good idea that will offer peace of mind to you and other parents who have children in your care.

You will also need to come up with a policy for kids who are sick and possibly contagious. You may need to send children home or not allow parents to bring in kids who are not feeling well. Some daycare centers offer special areas where sick children are cared for and if you choose to do this, make sure you have procedures in place so that you don't spread germs to the rest of your facility.

Develop a sanitation policy and procedure and make sure your employees follow it. For example, toys make for a great way to spread germs. You will need to disinfect the toys on a set schedule as well as wipe down door knobs and table tops to keep down on the spread of germs. Teach your staff to wash their hands regularly and use hand sanitizer in between hand washings.

You can also formally teach your older children the proper way to control the spread of germs by reminding them to cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing and to wash their hands after using the rest room.

Fighting off germs in your daycare facility will be a continual battle. Developing a policy for dealing with the spread of germs while you are still in the planning stages of starting a daycare will help to ensure that your kids will be as healthy and germ free as possible - and in the event they do get sick, your employees will be trained in how to deal with the situation so the illness spreads to as few of your children as possible.