Management of illness and temporary disability in children enrolled in day-care centers. The Health House experience

A. Chang, A. Zeledon-Friendly, A. Britt and B. Ewing
Division of Population and Family Health, UCLA School of Public Health 90024.

Alternative care arrangements are often necessary when children enrolled in day-care centers experience illness or temporary disability. To meet this need, a new facility named Health House was established by the Child Development Program of the Pomona (Calif) Unified School District. This report describes the organization, operation, and costs of the program, and reviews the management of 179 episodes of illness or temporary disability in 99 children served by the program during the 1983-1984 school year. The medical conditions of patients cared for were comparable with those seen in physicians' offices as reported in a national survey. The daily cost of care per child for the sponsoring agency was $38. The service enabled an average daily salary saving of $39.80 for the working parent. Health House may serve as a model for the management of illness or temporary disability in children enrolled in day-care centers.