What to do if your kid is too sick for school or daycare but you can’t take off work and you don’t have anyone to look after him/her?

Sick child daycare.  It’s still pretty rare, but fortunately I found three places that offer it in the Dallas county and south Collin County area:

Coughs and Cuddles, through Presbyterian Hospital of Plano

KidMed, through Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, and

Sniffles and Snuggles, through Medical City Dallas Children’s Hospital.

Even though my folks and immediate family live in the area, all of them work and cannot take time off to look after Daniel if he gets sick on a workday.  I’ve exhausted my paid sick days on maternity leave, and the Hubby’s work schedule and responsibilities are even more hellish than mine.  Also, I can think of one person who can take care of Daniel if he’s sick (she’s a stay-at-home mom with her kids at school and lives relatively close-by), but I’d hate to impose on her too much.  So it’s good to find an option available that isn’t too horribly expensive and is safe (considering that they’re all run by nurses, attached to reputable hospitals).

Considering my commute, I’m thinking KidMed, myself.  I’m hoping that Daniel will be well enough by Monday (when I return back to work on my campus) to go to his usual daycare, but I’m glad that KidMed is there, just in case.

For those not in the Dallas area, check out the National Association for Sick Child Daycare (NASCD) for a sick child daycare near you.