CAMPUS PRE-SCHOOL ALLERGY POLICY Completed November 1, 2010

Transcription

1 CAMPUS PRE-SCHOOL ALLERGY POLICY Completed November 1, 2010 INTRODUCTION Several children attending Campus Pre-School suffer from allergies. The word allergies includes food allergies or other types of allergies, and asthma. Allergic reactions reported range from mild skin irritations, to severe reactions during which the child may experience anaphylactic shock and even death. PURPOSE 1. The Campus Pre-School Allergy Policy is intended to: - support children with allergies at the Pre-School; - minimize the risk of these children having a reaction so they may attend the Pre-School - foster cooperation between parents and the Pre-School in dealing with allergic children; and - inform and educate all families at the Pre-School of the presence of allergies, the severity of the reactions and the ways to minimize the risk of a reaction occurring.

2 PARENT RESPONSIBLITIES 1. All parents of children attending the Pre-School are responsible for: - ensuring they and their children do not bring any peanuts or other nuts into the Pre-School; - ensuring their children are properly cleaned up (ie. Hand, face, clothing) before school; - being supportive toward the children with allergies; and - recording their snacks as parent helper 2. Parents of allergic children are responsible for: - identifying all of their children s allergies to the Pre-School, including the teacher or substitute teacher; - supporting and educating the Pre-School and teachers about their children s allergies; - providing an alternate snack for their children and - ensuring that all emergency contact phone numbers are current at all times. 3. Parents whose children require prescription medication for life threatening allergies MAY NOT leave their child at the Pre-School until they: - provide a completed Medication Administration and Consent Form ( MAC Form ) to the Pre-School, with a signed consent for the teachers to administer prescription medication. Parents must sign the consent portion of the form themselves. But are encouraged to have their physician fill out the applicable medical information; and - provide up to date prescription medicine, in the original container, for the teachers to use in an emergency. 4. Each parent whose child has a life threatening allergy is responsible for providing a current photograph of their child. 5. Parents with children who have life threatening allergies may also: - send the other parents in their class a letter which could include the allergic child s name, allergies, whether they bring their own snack, and any other relevant information to help the other parents understand the scope or severity of the allergy; - have their children wear a medic alert bracelet. 2

3 PRE-SCHOOL RESPONSIBLITIES 1. It is the responsibility of the Pre-School to: - take all reasonable steps to maintain a peanut and nut free school including not serving any store bought items with a label saying may contain nuts or made in a facility that uses nuts - request that all parents by supportive of children with allergies; - ensure the Parent Help Scheduler sends a letter to every family in September of each new year, informing them of children with allergies in their class; and - ensure the Parent Help Scheduler adds all relevant allergy information to the parent help monthly calendars for each class. 2. It is the responsibility of the Pre-School to ensure that the teachers: - are given all allergy information, which has been provided to the Pre-School by parents, regarding the students in their class; - receive training on a regular basis in such areas as first aid, CPR, recognition of a severe allergy reaction, and use of prescription medication; - create an Allergy Emergency Plan for each child with a life threatening allergy in their classes; and - eliminate certain types of food and other items from their classes, when necessary, whether used in snacks, crafts or other activities; - teachers will check snack every day including inspecting all store bought packaging. 3. The Pre-School will ensure that substitute teachers are informed of the presence of allergic children, the location of the Emergency Book for their classes, and the details of the MAC Forms. If both teachers are away at the same time, then at least one of the substitute teachers must be trained in first aid, CPR and the use of prescription medication. 3

4 TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES 1. It is the responsibility of the teachers at Campus Pre-School to: - create individualized Allergy Emergency Plans for the children in their classes who have life threatening allergies, including, at a minimum: o administering prescription where required, then a call to 911, followed by a call to the parents; and o completing the appropriate section for the MAC Form when medication has been given, including the kind of medication given, dose, time given, and a staff signature; - compile and store all relevant health and allergy information in the Emergency Book located beside the telephone in the junior room. The Emergency Book will include general allergy information, the MAC Forms, the Pre-School Emergency Plan, and current contact phone numbers. The teachers will also take the Emergency Book on field trips, and prescription medication for life threatening allergies when necessary; - post a master list of children s names, class and their allergies in a visible location in the kitchen. The teachers will also include a current photograph of the children with life threatening allergies and highlight their information in red: - post children s names and their allergies on a bulletin board specific to each classroom. Life threatening allergies will be highlighted in red; - post this Allergy Policy in each classroom and direct all parent helpers to read it; - show parent helpers where the first aid kits are located; - discuss with the parent helpers which children bring their own snack, and advise them not to give food to certain children; and - discuss and review the MAC Form with the parents of allergic children. 2. It is the responsibility of the teachers in the classroom to: - discourage the sharing of food, cups, utensils, etc; - discuss allergies with the children in an age appropriate way when necessary; - restrict the use of foods in crafts and snack when necessary; and - ensure hand washing before snack time, and after snack time if necessary. 3. The teachers will only administer prescription medication. They will do so only when they have received: - up to date medication in the original container; and - a completed MAC Form. 4. It is the responsibility of the teachers to store prescription medication: - in a place that is inaccessible to the children, in an unlocked container, when the allergy is life threatening; - in a place inaccessible to children, in a locked container, when the allergy is not life threatening; and - in a readily accessible location while on field trips. Sources for this Allergy Policy include: Alberta Children s Services Day Care Regulation 2000, Allergy Asthma Information Association, Calgary Board of Education Severe Allergies Policy, and the Calgary Allergy Network. 4

5 MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION AND CONSENT FORM TO BE COMPLETED IN INK ONLY Child s Name: Medication: Dosage: Signs & Symptoms Indicating an Allergic Reaction Requiring Medication: Special Instructions (e.g. to be taken with food): Allergy Emergency Plan: Administer Prescription Medication Call 911 Call Parents Other (please be specific): Please read carefully: PARENT CONSENT I,, parent/guardian of, hereby give my consent to the teachers of Campus Pre-School, to administer my child s prescription medication in case of emergency, in accordance with the instructions and Allergy Emergency Plan written on this MAC Form. I have discussed my child s Allergy Emergency Plan with my child s teacher. Signature: Date: To be completed by staff at the time medication is given: Date Time Medication Dosage Staff Signature 5