childcare cure for the common cold

I love late September when the weather starts to cool and I pull out the sweaters and light jackets from storage and hang them in my closet. Along with the new wardrobe, come tall non-fat lattes with a chocolate covered graham cracker, independent movie releases, the theater, and be beginning of school.
What I had not anticipated last year and, once again, surprised me this year, is how prolific viruses seem to be in the world of little children. Luca has been back in school for a week and he already has a cold with a cough that he has shared with his brother. I'm not sure how this happened because he is not usually inclined to share anything else with him.

Still running the household with compromised child care arrangements, I wonder how we will manage when Luca has to stay home. I wish there was an alternative child care or school of sorts that would specialize in caring for mildly sick children. I understand the school's policies on asking that a child stay home if he has the sniffles or a little cough, but the impact that has on us is tremendous.

What do you do when your child has to stay home due to illness? Do you and your husband take turns? Do you have an alternative arrangement?