Have you ever considered being a peanut free childcare?
I recently wrote about the life-threatening issue that could arise following immunizations. You can read about that here.
Today I thought I would address another issue that providers commonly face with children. The issue of food allergies.
I will discuss how to decide whether or not to accept children with food allergies, how to be trained to deal with children who have food allergies and where you can be marketed as an allergy conscious provider. Oh, and hang on till the end for a FREE gift just for you. peanut free childcare
Are you a Peanut Free Childcare?
Deciding to be Allergy Conscious
First, you need to decide whether or not to be a childcare that caters to the specific needs of children with allergies. This is something that a provider should thoughtfully consider.
Quick Story: I once had a child that had so many allergies. I mean she was allergic to eggs, nuts, most ingredients in anything pre-made. Eventually, I wound up releasing the client because I just couldn’t keep up. In that case I was never really comfortable that the food or the environment was completely safe for her. Something to keep in mind.
Food allergies can be very serious and possibly even life-threatening for children.
Every parent wants to make sure their child is safe in childcare. For families dealing with allergies, childcare is yet another major consideration.
With all the different types of allergies that exist, providers can definitely fill a need should they decide to be an allergy conscious facility.
Related Reading:
Training for Managing Food Allergies and a Peanut Free Childcare
Did you know that there is specific training to become aware of how to maintain and accomplish a Peanut-Free environment?
I know, neither did I.
It is not surprising though, considering the potentially life-threatening consequences of exposure. Here are just a few:
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE)
FARE (which stands for Food Allergy Research & Education) offers a FREE online course. The course is for educators, instructing how to prepare food for children with food allergies.
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Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
AAFA offers a course in Managing Food Allergies in Schools. The course is presented in Powerpoint slides. This seems good especially if you need to instruct staff and develop policies for handling food allergies.
They also offer videos from past webinars. Past topics include anaphylaxis, managing food allergies in school, asthma and food allergies, nutrition, and baking without allergens.
By the way, did you know there are also Cookbooks specifically written for managing food allergies? Check them out here. peanut free childcare
Allergy Conscious Marketing
The fact is parents who are seeking this type of environment for their child need resources to find them.
Considering the need, there are now search engines for parents who are specifically looking for Peanut-Free preschools or daycares? Carelulu is one.
Consider looking into how to be posted on their site, if you have made the decision to be a Peanut-Free Zone.
If you have made the decision to be an allergy conscious childcare, remember to list that in your own marketing. Include that information in your ads, business card, brochures, etc. Especially if you invest in special food allergy training. peanut free childcare
It might also be a good idea to reach out to one or more of the sites above and to any forums or support groups for families dealing with allergies. Perhaps they could be a great resource for parents interested in knowing that your facility is allergy conscious.
Here’s Your Gift!
If you are reading this article, you probably have either dealt with or are considering being more allergy conscious at your childcare. If so, you probably also realize that letting the other families at your childcare know that you are a “Peanut-Free” environment is just as important.
Well, I figured you wouldn’t mind a little help with that so I created this special gift for you.
I created a “Peanut-Free Zone” poster just for you. This poster actually sells in our shop for $5.99, but for you it is FREE! Just click the picture above to get it. Then you can post and boast that you are a proud allergy conscious provider.
