New to AZ, Child Not Immunized - Need to Start Preschool

As far as I know, most preschools are private, not public, in which case they get to demand whatever they wish.

ETA re Missy's response: Really? A private preschool can be forced to take an unvaccinated child? Wow.

It's fine if you want to endanger your own child but you shouldn't be allowed to endanger other peoples' children.
Keep her at home.

No reason to dictate what people's responses will be on here. You will get varied responses, take it for what it is worth.

You should call the school and ask.

It is sad that you are willing to put your children as well at other children at risk for diseases that are now coming back because parents like you choose not to vaccinate.

Like FrogMom put it, eventually you will be faced with the decision over and over through schools, business, employment, etc.

Maybe you are a good candidate for homeschooling instead. That would keep other children safer.

I can answer any question I want.

You realize that by not immunizing your children, you could be putting others at risk and potentially killing other children? Wouldn't want your kid in my preschool. Homeschool if you are that adamant.

Why would you not want to get your child vaccinated???? Most schools, preschools, daycare facilities, work enviornments, etc require particpants to be vaccinated.

I just love political trolls. Sorry if I offend anyone into politics with that term. A political troll is just someone who makes up a BS story to "get people talking" about some stupid cause. They don't want talk, they want yelling.

Fact is you can't have an IEP until you are in kindergarten! You can have services but not an IEP. So that you claim you have a child who at around 3 had an IEP you need to transfer now that they are found kind of shows this has nothing to do with anything but your anti vac BS.

Go peddle it somewhere else.

I seriously want to know why you would not want to get your child immunized. As an older person I remember growing up with the beginnings of vaccines and sometimes not available. I attended funerals of children who had polio and saw children who grew into adults personally know of one who was the last one in line, unable to get the vacine and is in a wheel chair for life. I myself had childhood illnesses that there are now shots available to help and remember being uncomfortably and miserably sick. Why would you want the possibility of that for your child? Really think about this.

Unfortunately, preschools, daycares, and public schools cannot refuse to take kids who are not immunized. They will have you sign an exemption based on personal beliefs and your child can enter school and weaken the herd immunity that kids who are too young or medically unable to be immunized rely upon. I'm glad you love your child so much that you're willing to risk their health and their life based on erroneous information found on the internet. I wonder if your own parents loved you that much or if they had you immunized?

In Oklahoma any child with a disability can do an early start pre-school through the special ed program and the day they turn 3 they can enter that program. They have an IEP since they are there for disabilities. Their distinct needs have to be met so they do get an IEP IF they are entering the school program through this particular program.

However, you are stating they haven't been to school yet and an IEP is specifically designed through the school system, hence the name

Individual Education Plan, EDUCATION, so it's done by the school, for school, and the team consists of the teacher, the principal, the aid in the classroom, psychologists you might want to invite, and other staff people who deal with the child on a regular basis such as speech therapist and physical therapists.

I do wonder how your child got an IEP without being in school, since it's an educational program provided through the school system?

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Regarding no vaccines.

I will apologize now if there is a medical reason your child cannot have them. If you are simply choosing to not take care of this then my post stands.

I don't have any second thoughts or doubts or anything about getting all the kids shots. I think it should be absolutely required by all school systems. That's MY opinion and I'm glad to say I have a right to it.

Why not go get your child their shots and be done with it? I always feel afraid for kids that haven't had vaccines. They are so susceptible to diseases that the rest of us won't get because either we've had them as children before vaccines were available or we did get the vaccine for it at some point.

My biggest thing is that there are adults who have children who go to school with un-vaccinated kids who can be sick with things even before they break out in bumps or start a fever that mom or dad or the teacher notices. So they are contagious in the classroom. Then the kids are exposed but their vaccines work, but maybe mom, who's pregnant, hasn't ever been vaccinated and she gets the illness and has a miscarriage.

Friend in my teenage child care center days was pregnant with her first child. One of the kids in her class broke out with Chicken Pox. She hadn't ever had the vaccination and got sick. Her doc put her in the hospital and did everything he could but she miscarried/had a stillborn child.

She was devastated. Back in the late 70's/early 80's many vaccines were still be developed and Chicken Pox was one of those not available yet.

If your child is exposed to Whooping Cough he can pass that on to the elderly, infants who haven't had shots yet, and more. Killing other people. Whooping cough is specifically coming back due to parents who haven't vaccinated their children.

Reconsider the dangers your child presents to others who are too old or not healthy enough to have vaccinations against these diseases.

My kids are older but I always signed an exemption for them for school. They don't TELL you that you can, you have to insist and then they give you the right form to fill out. I hope someone has the answer for the preschool age kids but if not, insist and see if they give in. Good luck.

ETA: I just searched in google: "Do I have to vaccinate for preschool in Arizona" and this link came up. It looks like since 2013 you can waive for religious and medical reasons and there is a specific form you can give the preschool that is on this site. Good luck. http://azdhs.gov/phs/immunization/school-childcare/requir...

You should start with the school district, which will have info on state as well as local requirements. If the preschool is associated with the public schools, they will know. I don't know about Arizona - in my town and those adjacent, the vast majority of preschools are private, with some being licensed by the state office for children, accredited by the NAEYC (or both), and some not either. We have one preschool associated with the public schools which is an integrated school, half special needs kids and half those without those needs. So that school follows district requirements re vaccinations.

You don't say what your reasons are for not immunizing, so there are a couple of ways to go depending on your convictions. If your kids are so compromised from the standpoint of their immune systems that they medically cannot have vaccinations, then you should re-think putting them in a school with other children. You could spend a year building their immune systems overall, although it will not protect them from the diseases covered by vaccines, just possibly give them a better shot at surviving or having a less serious case of whatever they contract.

If your reasons are religious, you might seek out houses of worship aligned with your religious viewpoint. Many churches offer preschools and you will therefore find other families who believe as you do, and regulations/requirements you can agree with.

If it's something else, you ought to look into home schooling. There are networks of home schoolers who do a good job of sharing resources re curriculum and materials. There are plenty of home schooling fairs with vendors, exhibits and support groups.

You could also check with your pediatrician, if you have one in your new location. Many refuse to accept children who are not vaccinated because they won't risk the health of the other patients, and because they don't accept families who don't respect the doctor's opinion. But if you find one who agrees not to vaccinate, there may be additional resources and information available there at that office.

Sometimes local children's libraries have flyers for support groups and even private preschools.

I would think a national forum like Mamapedia might be tough to use for such a local question though. It's already the end of June, most preschools have had enrollment going on since April, and many are filled to capacity already. Those with a few openings are going to have a number of applicants for those few slots, and, with the exception of religiously-based schools who share your philosophy, you may find your kids are pretty far down on the waiting list. So I'd work very locally, and hard and fast, if you are determined to get them into preschool in September.

I delayed vaccines. I used to homeschool, so it wasn't an issue, but then we planned to move to France where it is non-negotiable, and I wanted the kids in French school, so I got them all caught up on mandatory shots for the year before trip. My doctor worked with me to leave out the frivolous shots, and since the kids were older I was OK with doing it. We haven't gone to France yet but I couldn't homeschool so they were in public school last year. Turns out its a good thing I did it because there was NO tolerance for incomplete vaccines. They did not exempt anyone and I would have had to homeschool. My younger two needed a booster which couldn't be done until a certain month and the nurse was calling weekly to nag me.

Count yourself lucky if you only have to skip preschool. Check with their policy for certain, maybe you can get around it, but if not, no biggie. My 3 kids didn't go to preschool and they all entered public school miles ahead of peers. My kindergartner was the only one in her class reading fluently.

Call the school district.