Non-vaxers, are your kids in daycare?

**cosmic** · 13-10-2006 11:25

I heard yesterday that even though child care centres are not supposed to discriminate or exclude a child for not having had their shots, that this kind of discrimination actually does occur.

Has anyone had any experience of this? Do places just 'not come up' for non-vaxed kids?

**AimeeB** · 13-10-2006 17:02

Hi cosmic
I'm not sure as my kids are immunised and haven't gone to day care as such but ds goes to pre-school this year for the year before school and I had to take his blue book to show his immunisations.I'm not sure if they wouldn't have given him a spot had he not been immmunised but they did ask for proof and also I enrolled him for kindergarten next year and they also asked for a print out from the immun. board as proof of what needles he had had.Don't really know if they do or don't give places to non-immunised kids but I think they asked just so they are aware what vaxes different kids have had incase a child gets sick in the childcare/preschool and they have to let parents know that say, measles or something is going around so the parents are aware that their child may get it.That's the impression I got from my end anyway.

**jessgray** · 13-10-2006 17:41

i have seen parents be discrimanted against at a centre coz their bub wasnt vaxed. they were told there was no spots open inthe baby room when there was 2 days with spots open

**MamaSage** · 13-10-2006 18:07

Schools and daycare centres CANNOT discriminate against children who are not vaccinated. You need to provide a concious objection from a GP however.

**the_queen** · 13-10-2006 19:22

I've had Vally in family day care and long day care, an independant kindergarten and 2 public primary schools - no-one has ever asked about it. Not a mention, whatsoever. (She is partially vax'd). Maybe I'm just lucky?

**Cheeky Little Monkey** · 13-10-2006 21:22

It is my understanding that a child cannot be discriminated against due to not being vaccinated. When I worked in a school, we did ask if the children had been vaccinated but only to take note to notify the parents of the child concerned if there were things like chicken pox, measles etc going around to inform them.

**Issey** · 13-10-2006 21:33

The childcare centre my son goes to says in their introduction to the centre that 'only vacinated children are accepted'. You must show your vacination records for their file at the interview. They interview you first before you are accepted and 'choose' who they want basically.

It does have a very good reputation and I like the fact that they do this, without giving my opinion why, as don't want to go into a debate.

It is a private centre and a private school follows on. I don't see it as discrimination just 'selective'.

V8 · 13-10-2006 21:37

My DS was enrolled at a local day care it was a private one, so not run by the local council. The local council one won't accept children if they are unvaccinated, but the private one didn't have a problem. He doesn't go anymore, it was a waste of time cause he screamed the whole time, but i'm getting a concientious objection form signed so he will be accepted into schools. Also, from what i found out, it wasn't actually the daycare centre that needed a copy of the form, it was centrelink cause they won't pay the childcare benefit unless you have this form stating you aren't vaccinating your child. That annoyed me, cause i don't think it's got any business whatsoever to do with the government whether i chose to vaccinate or not.

**shed** · 13-10-2006 22:34

Hmmm.... this should be interesting, considering I have put bubby on the waiting list for a spot when he turns two years old, (which is when they start taking them)...at TWO centres, one around the corner and one two houses down which hasn't even been finished being built yet. I rang them when the foundations were being laid and a sign was up on the fence saying what was being built. She said I was their first caller.

To be honest, I don't know if he will even go, we will probably just do the playgroup thing.

We aint vaxing just to get in so its another reason to stay at home for me, although IF we do vax it will probably be around this time anyway, so who knows.

**cosmic** · 14-10-2006 17:50

Shed, we haven't decided whether to vax or not either.. all we have decided is to wait at least until after her first birthday. I have Annabelle's name down at one centre that takes them from 3yrs, and another one for after she turns 1 next May and I'd like to think she won't be treated any differently even if she has had her first birthday and hasn't yet had any shots.

The person I heard this from mentioned that her MIL works in child care, so I gather that's where she heard of this possible 'unspoken' discrimination. I guess if we can't get her in anywhere, we will go with a nanny or shared nanny if we really need child care... probably not a great deal more expensive anyway.