Schools & Childcare Centres

Starting Preschool

  A guide to Starting Kinder or Preschool

State Guidelines

Currently Australia does not have national guidelines for the management of anaphylaxis in the school setting. For school anaphylaxis guidelines for individual states and territories please access the following links:

NSW	NSW Health - Anaphylaxis Guidelines for shools Anaphylaxis Guidelines for Children's Services
Victoria	Anaphylaxis model policy (childcare)  Victorian Anaphylaxis Guidelines (schools)
Queensland	Interim Guidelines for QLD Schools Individual Management Plans
South Australia	Anaphylaxis Book
Western Australia	WA Student Health Care
Tasmania	Students' Health Care Requirements
ACT	Health & Safety Policy - First Aid
Northern Territory	(Still to obtain)

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) is the peak professional body of Clinical Allergists and Immunologists in Australia and New Zealand. This peak body has produced guidelines for the prevention of food anaphylactic reactions in schools, preschools and childcare centres.

Link: ASCIA Guidelines for prevention of food anaphylactic reactions in schools,
preschools and childcare

QLD Interim anaphylaxis guidelines for Queensland schools

Link: Interim Guidelines for QLD Schools

New Victorian anaphylaxis guidelines for schools

Access from the Schools & Child Care section of this site or below:

 Victorian Anaphylaxis Guidelines (schools)

PREPARATION FOR SCHOOL

• A year prior to child starting school, meet with the principal and explain child’s medical condition. Arrange progressive meetings to discuss management of anaphylaxis. (All staff will require information on anaphylaxis and emergency treatment)
• All anaphylactic children require individualised management plans. This preparation will need to be carried through, even if there is already an anaphylactic child attending the school.
• Discuss availability of anaphylaxis management guidelines and training with school. Contact AAI on 1300 728 000 and leave a message or email coordinator@allergyfacts.org.au for most recent information.
• Discuss the school’s stance on food sharing and encourage implementation of a non-food sharing policy.

STARTING SCHOOL

Download the 10 point allergy action plan for starting school

More tips for Starting School

• Discuss the possibility of attending school with your child until you and staff are comfortable with care. This provides support for the teacher whilst he/she is settling into a new school year with 30 kindergarten children.
• Revise emergency care plan and management:
  o If there has been a change in the child’s condition
  o An at risk situation
  o An anaphylactic reaction or
  o Annually
• Ensure child/teacher carry emergency kit on school excursions/sports days and special days.
• Remind teacher/carer of importance of having a mobile phone for emergency contact if required when away from school.
• A medical information bracelet or chain is recommended. This is important as the child becomes more independent.
• The school may decide to set up a care system to help with support of children as they get used to school life.
• When using water bowsers or bubblers allow water to run over bubbler before drinking from it. Encourage children not to put their mouth directly on the bubbler.
• Place photo of child on canteen wall with notice to inform workers on canteen duty that your child should not be given food. This decision may change, as the child gets older, with permission from parents.

IDENTIFICATION

Some parents are concerned about all teachers knowing the identity of their child who has severe allergy whilst at school. Whilst we encourage every effort to be made to not isolate the child, some parents opt for a different coloured hat in the first year or two of schooling. i.e. until the child is more able to communicate and teachers are more aware of his/her needs.

MEDICAL INFORMATION CARD

• Make up a medical information card that specify’s the child’s name, which foods cause anaphylaxis, medication required etc. Have the card laminated and kept in child’s wallet/bus pass holder. This is especially useful for High School students.

UPDATE INFORMATION

• It is very important to update school information sheets at least yearly. This will ensure that teachers and carers have all the necessary up to date information they require to care for your child.

EDUCATING CASUAL OR RELIEF TEACHING STAFF

• Ask your child’s permanent teacher to place a note or information in the role book that will alert casual staff to your child’s allergy. Consider supplying a laminated copy of your child’s requirements, details of the emergency action plan and a recent photograph of the child (dressed in school uniform) to the teacher so that this information can be placed where casual staff will notice it! Provide a copy of the same information to all staff members and find a suitable place in the staffroom and canteen to display the same information.

SCHOOL SUPPORT

• Teachers can support food allergic children by asking the other children in their care NOT to offer any food to your child. When dealing with young children a simple explanation using the key phrases…”she/he gets very sick” and “has to go to hospital” if she/he eats someone else’s food….have a big impact on little children and helps them understand how important it is not to share food with your child.

SPECIAL NEEDS - PRESCHOOL PLACEMENT, SCHOOLS AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE

• When choosing a preschool for your child, investigate the possibility of your child being placed in that school as a “special needs” child. Some preschools and kindergartens offer placements for children requiring “special care”.
• Some children in state schools have integration aides to assist during ‘at risk times’ eg morning tea, lunch. Speak to your school principal (well ahead of placement) about the availability of this service.
• AAI have a printed Emergency Management Plan available for a small fee.
  Link to resource order form
• Consider giving class teacher and others information on anaphylaxis occasionally.

HOW TO HELP CREATE “ALLERGY FRIENDLY” SCHOOLS

Consider providing schools with information on food allergy and anaphylaxis. Suggest to teachers that they include some of the information in their food/nutrition lessons. Incorporating food allergy into diet related subjects will help to further educate your child’s classmates about life-threatening allergies and create a much more understanding environment for your school age child.

Purchase the Canteen Checklist for Managing Food Allergies

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VIDEOS HELP IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

• Consider purchasing the video, “Alexander the Elephant” video to use in the school setting to help promote understanding of anaphylaxis amongst school children. Members who have organized the video to be shown to their child’s class have been delighted with the result. Children gain a better understanding of their child’s needs and display a greater level of support as a result.
• AAI also have a number of children’s story books to assist with this.

Click here to view products or download the ORDER FORM here

PLAYGROUP

• Gently inform parents and carers of your child’s anaphylaxis. Suggest safe foods for morning tea i.e. fruit. Discuss possibilities with them and come to a joint agreement of management in this environment. You may educate with literature, videos and advise people to visit visit the Anaphylaxis Australia website for further information.
• There are allergy friendly playgroups in different areas. Contact the Playgroup Association for information.

PRE SCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE

• All children who have anaphylaxis MUST have an emergency kit, which contains an EpiPen® and an individualised emergency plan, which accompanies them everywhere.
• Teach younger children to only eat food from their own lunch box. The lunch box should be labelled with their name. Teach the child to use this lunch box when eating away from home.
• If a child is deemed ready for school or preschool, food allergy alone should not mean they are held back from preschool or school for a year. If you think your child could benefit from another year at home because:

  a) they take food off their peers
  b) they have a learning difficulty or significant other condition i.e. autism
  c) they have multiple food allergies
  d) they lack maturity for their age
  e) other reason
  
  Please discuss preschool and school entry with your specialist.

• If a baby weighs too little for an EpiPen to be prescribed but a specialist prescribes adrenaline ampoules, needles and syringe for use in an emergency childcare staff cannot be expected to administer this. If this causes a problem, the issue of attendance at childcare/day-care should be discussed with your specialist. The issue then, of whether the child should or should not go to childcare/day-care depends on the degree of risk etc.