I've worked in ChildCare (Early Learning centre for 0 - 4yos) and whilst it is true that they are often a little sicker in their first few months it is up to the centre to be right onto infection control. It sounds to me that the staff are not being strict enough. It is quite hard to tell a parent who has rocked up to the centre with a sick child (this happens all the time) and tell them to take the child home. Many parents just don't have any back up or are casual workers and will tell you "if I don't go to work today i won't get sick leave or I might lose my job". A good director will stand firm though to protect the other children and the staff. I once got chicken pox from a child that was brought in at 7.30am with spots all over her!!!! I had to tend to her... so i caught the bloody pox! It took the parent half an hour to return to the centre to collect her child! Poor kid, I could tell she was sick... but often parents will outright lie and say: "She was upset in the car, that's why her eyes are all red" or "she had a late night, that's why she's grizzly".

I have been on the other side of the fence and had a sick child which meant I had to stay home. But that's what you have to do. That was 10 years ago for me and employment wasn't as easy to find as it is these days... these days, honestly, parents need to try a bit harder to obtain backup care. The consequences are bigger than they imagine. If the bug hits the staff in a big way it means discontinuity for all the children of the centre as relief agency staff are brought in.

I would change centres. it doesn't have to be that way.

Regarding FDC. It is a hard job. Because you don't have a co-worker it means that going to the toilet is very hard (basically have to wait until all the kids are asleep, or pop them all in cots... I haven't done it myself but I have used 2 FDC women and they were the bee's knees. They had teenage daughter to help after school at least... I felt very comfortable leaving my DD with them. Trust your intuition when choosing any care option.