There is a specific feeling of dread that washes over a director when a toddler's parent calls to report small red blisters on their child's palms. Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease is one of the most highly contagious viruses in the early childhood environment. It can sweep through your entire center in less than a week if you do not react aggressively.
The moment you have a confirmed case, you must initiate a deep sanitization protocol. Standard daily cleaning is not enough. Every single shared toy, especially mouthed items in the infant and toddler rooms, must go through a bleach water soak or a commercial dishwasher cycle. You also must be completely transparent with your enrolled families. Send a center-wide health alert immediately. Outline exactly what symptoms parents need to look for and strictly enforce your exclusion policy. A child with active blisters absolutely cannot return to the building. Zero flexibility on this rule is the only thing that protects the rest of your enrollment.