If your child has no fever and is acting like themselves, they can often go back to daycare right away, even with red eyes and some discharge. That is the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) child care guidance. Many daycares are stricter, and a common rule is 24 hours after starting antibiotic eye drops, so your daycare's written policy decides. Keep your child home if they have a fever, seem sick, or can't join in normal activities.
What does the AAP say about pink eye and daycare?
The AAP's guide on when to keep a child home from child care lists eye discharge as a reason it is usually OK to stay. Its wording: yellow, green, white, or watery eye discharge without fever, even if the whites of the eyes are red.
The AAP's general rules for keeping a child home still apply. A child should stay home if the illness keeps them from joining in activities comfortably, or if they need more care than staff can give without putting other children at risk.
- Usually OK to go: red eyes and discharge, no fever, acting like their usual self
- Keep home: a fever above 101°F with a change in behavior, or a cough, runny nose, or sore throat with a fever
- Keep home: too unwell or fussy to take part in the day
Why does my daycare have a stricter rule?
Daycare is close contact. The CDC says viral and bacterial pink eye are very contagious and spread easily from person to person, and toddlers rub their eyes and share toys all day. Many daycares set their own, stricter rules.
Public health sources don't all agree, either. The CDC's pink eye page says you should not attend if you still have symptoms and your activities involve close contact with others, and that you may be allowed to return with your doctor's approval if you have no fever or other symptoms. That is stricter than the AAP child care guidance. Your daycare may follow either one, or rules from your state or local health department.
So the first step is to read the parent handbook or ask the director: does your child need a doctor's visit, a note, antibiotic drops, or a set number of hours before coming back?
Does my kid need antibiotic drops to go back?
Not always. Pink eye is often caused by a virus, and the CDC says antibiotics will not help viral pink eye. The CDC also says mild bacterial pink eye may get better without antibiotics. The AAP says most children with pink eye get better after 5 or 6 days without antibiotics, and that antibiotics shorten the illness only a very small amount.
A clinician may prescribe antibiotic drops or ointment if the pink eye looks bacterial, for example with more than a tiny amount of yellow or green discharge. An AAP pediatrician notes that many schools let a child return 24 hours after starting antibiotic drops. If your daycare has that rule and your child was prescribed drops, count 24 hours from the first dose.
If your child's pink eye looks viral or allergic, drops will not speed up the return. Ask the clinician for a note that says so if your daycare requires one.
How long is my toddler contagious?
The AAP says viral pink eye is contagious while signs or symptoms are present, and one type, adenovirus, may stay contagious for weeks after symptoms start. For bacterial pink eye, the AAP says the contagious period ends when antibiotics are started or when symptoms are gone. Allergic pink eye is not contagious at all.
An AAP pediatrician also notes that, like a cold, a child with viral pink eye has often already exposed other kids before anyone notices symptoms.
When should you get care?
In an emergency, call 911Call the doctor right away if a newborn has red or sticky eyes. The CDC says newborns with pink eye symptoms should be seen right away, and the NHS says to get an urgent appointment for a baby less than 30 days old.
Get care the same day if your child has eye pain, is sensitive to light, has blurry vision that does not clear when you wipe away discharge, or has very red eyes.
See a clinician if symptoms get worse or don't improve, if bacterial pink eye doesn't improve after 24 hours on antibiotics, or if your child has a weakened immune system.
Call 911 if your child is hard to wake, has trouble breathing, or seems seriously ill.
How our AI doctor decides when to send you to care ›How do I help keep it from spreading at daycare?
The AAP says good hand hygiene is the best way to keep pink eye from spreading.
- Wash your child's hands often with soap and water, especially after they touch or rub their eyes
- Wipe away discharge with a clean cloth or tissue, then wash your own hands
- Don't share towels or pillows, and wash pillowcases and face cloths in hot water with detergent
- Tell staff your child has pink eye and ask how they limit spread in the room
- If drops are prescribed and a dose falls during the day, ask the daycare about its medicine form
Common questions
When can my kid go back to daycare after pink eye?
Often right away, if your child has no fever and is acting normally. The AAP says eye discharge without fever is usually not a reason to stay home from child care. Many daycares are stricter, often asking for 24 hours on antibiotic drops, so check your daycare's policy.
Do I need a doctor's note for daycare after pink eye?
It depends on the daycare. The AAP child care guidance does not require one for pink eye without fever, but the CDC page mentions returning with a doctor's approval, and some daycares require a note. Ask the director what they need.
My daycare says 24 hours on antibiotics. Can I just get drops?
Only a clinician can decide whether drops make sense. Antibiotics don't help viral pink eye, and the AAP says most kids get better in 5 or 6 days without them. If the clinician thinks it's viral or allergic, ask for a note that explains why drops weren't prescribed.
My toddler has pink eye and a fever. Can they go?
No. The AAP says a fever above 101°F with a change in behavior, or a fever with a cough, runny nose, or sore throat, is a reason to keep a child home. An AAP pediatrician also suggests keeping a child with pink eye home if they have a fever or other signs of illness.
Can my baby go to daycare with pink eye?
A newborn with red or sticky eyes needs to be checked by a doctor right away before anything else. For older babies, the same daycare rules apply as for toddlers, but call your pediatrician if you aren't sure what is causing it.
Pymander is not a replacement for a physician and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions about a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911.