Children in child care settings are at a greater risk of illness due to:
- Close contact with children from other households
- Shared toys and learning materials
- Interest in mouthing objects
- Developing immune systems
- Hands-on assistance with toileting and hygiene
- Limited ability to practice hand hygiene on their own
Childhood Illness Quick Reference Guide
To help reduce the spread of infections and respond appropriately when illness occurs, WDG Public Health has created the Prevention and Control of Communicable Childhood Illnesses: A Quick Reference Guide for Child Care Centres (PDF). It should be used in combination with the child care centre’s infection prevention and control policies and procedures, and any additional advice provided by WDG Public Health. For questions, please call 1-800-265-7293 ext. 4752.
Reporting Diseases of Public Health Significance (DoPHS)
Some infections require mandatory reporting to Public Health under the Health Protection and Promotion Act (R.S.O. 1990, c.H.7), either due to their severity or risk of spread within the community.
- Download the full list of DoPHS (PDF)
- Visit our webpage: List of Diseases of Public Health Significance (Reportable to Public Health).
Reporting timelines:
- Immediately for specific diseases (e.g., measles, meningitis)
- Within one business day for all others
How to report
To report a DoPHS:
- Weekdays (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.): Call 1-800-265-7293, ext. 4752
- After hours, weekends and holidays: Call 1-877-884-8653
- Fax confidential documents to: 1-855-934-5463 (1-855-WDGLINE)
When reporting, please provide the following information:
- First and last name of child
- Child’s date of birth
- Child’s gender
- Child’s contact number and address
- Parent(s) or guardian(s) name(s) and contact information (if different from the child’s)
- The DoPHS of concern
- The name of the physician or location where the DoPHS was diagnosed (emergency department)
- Symptoms and date of onset
- Name, contact number and address of child care centre
For more information, call the Infectious Diseases team at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 4752.
