Can my child go to daycare with ringworm?
Usually yes: in Texas, a child with ringworm can attend if the patch can be completely covered by clothing or a bandage, and otherwise stays home only until treatment starts. The American Academy of Pediatrics and California’s health department say the child can go back once treatment has started.
Updated Oct 16, 2026. State rules and national guidance, not medical advice: if you’re unsure, call your child’s doctor.
Return to daycare: Texas, national (AAP) and California rules
| Texas centers | National standard (AAP) | California centers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stay home? | Only if the area can’t be completely covered by clothing or a bandage. | No, if treatment starts before the next day; see a doctor at the end of the day. | Up to the center. State guidance says the child may go back once treatment starts; UCSF’s child care program says keep patches covered if possible. |
| Back when | Once covered, or once treatment has begun. | Once treatment has started. Shaving the head or wearing a cap isn’t necessary. | Once treatment has started. |
| Doctor’s note | Not by the rule. A child a doctor diagnosed needs documentation that they’re no longer contagious. | No. | Only if the center’s policy asks for one. |
Texas: 25 TAC §97.7(a)(21), applied to centers by §746.3603. National: AAP quick-reference sheet. California: CDPH symptom guidance (2023); UCSF CCHP (Dec 2025). A Texas child sent home sick may also come back after 24 hours without symptoms or with a health professional’s statement (§746.3606). California leaves illness rules to each center’s written policy; its column is the state health department’s guidance.
How it spreads and how long it’s contagious
- Ringworm is a fungus, not a worm. It spreads between people, from pets to people, and through shared towels and bedding; symptoms show 4 to 14 days after contact.
- On the body it’s a red, itchy, ring-shaped rash; on the scalp, a scaly, itchy, sometimes bald patch. Scalp ringworm is most common from age 3 to 9.
- Skin ringworm is treated with antifungal cream for 2 to 4 weeks. Scalp ringworm needs prescription medicine by mouth for 1 to 3 months; creams don’t work on the scalp. A child isn’t considered contagious once treatment starts.
Sources: CDC: causes; CDC: symptoms; CDC: treatment; AAP.
When to call the doctor
- Any patch on the scalp: scalp ringworm needs prescription treatment
- A rash that’s spreading, severe, or getting worse during treatment
- A rash that hasn’t cleared after the full course of cream
Sources: CDC; AAP. Call 911 if your child is struggling to breathe, turns blue or is hard to wake.
What the center has to do
Both states have general rules on sending sick children home and on telling Licensing and parents about outbreaks, and a center’s own written illness policy can be stricter: ask for it at enrollment. The Texas and California rules →
What the state records show
Since February 2021, California has investigated 1 complaint whose allegations mention ringworm; it wasn’t substantiated.
From Texas and California inspection, complaint and investigation records for centers licensed today; Texas counts are citations under the sick-child and parent-notice rules whose inspector notes name ringworm. See all sick-child citations in the sick-day guide.
Common questions
Does my child need to stay home from daycare with ringworm?
Usually not. In Texas, not if the patch can be completely covered by clothing or a bandage. Under the AAP’s national guidance, the child can go back once treatment has started, even the next day.
Is ringworm contagious after treatment starts?
The AAP says a child isn’t considered contagious once antifungal treatment begins, though the rash can take weeks to clear.
Can my child catch ringworm from a pet?
Yes. Cats and dogs are a common source; if your child keeps getting it, have your pets checked by a vet.