Questions about food allergies in a daycare/preschool

[Clarity]

My 15mo is in all day care at a wonderful facility. DD has egg, dairy, peanut and tree nut allergies. The facility is moving to adopt a nut free policy and they will be adopting some new rules to help food allergic kids.
One of the new rules is that we provide all the food for our children AND ALL OF THE SERVING DISHES. The food is a non issue, that's fine, we pack her lunch and snacks every day. It's the serving dishes - this seems like overkill to me. I'll be required to send in plates, silverware and cups for my child each day and they will be returned to us each night to wash. (We already pack lunches, rice milk, sheets, blankets, mittens, swimming suit and towel, etc. that this becomes one more thing I've got to make sure is packed and ready to go. My head is going to explode.)

Here's why I think it might be overkill:
-Our facility has a dishwasher.
-Clean dishes/utensils are used at every meal.
-I'm more worried about food that drops on the floor than cross contamination from clean dishes.
-I'm more concerned about the children in my dd's 0-18 month room mouthing the same toys.

My dd is not highly sensitive to allergens - so it seems that only ingestion activates an allergic response. I know this is why I'm not so concerned about the dishware. However, I realize another child with allergies may be more sensitive.

If you have an allergic child in daycare/preschool do you have to provide the place servings? Convince me that this is a good idea.

[khalloc]

Wow, that is overkill. My kids' daycare has a no-peanut policy. We only provide Lunch. And obviously you cannot pack peanut products for that. I cant even imagine that they give out plates and what not to the kids for lunch - I assumed they just ate out of the containers that I packed their lunch in. I do know that the daycare gives them spoons and forks, if needed. They have a dishwasher too, and wash everything nightly.

If I had to go thru the trouble of packing dishes everyday for my kids and snacks, I think I would expect that they would lower the rates a little. Don't you? Not a ton, but enough that they are providing any snacks and they dont have to wash as many dishes. seems overkill to me, but I dont have a child with food allergies. And even if I did, I think restricting certain foods and washing everything at night would be enough.

[Clarity]

- I assumed they just ate out of the containers that I packed their lunch in. I do know that the daycare gives them spoons and forks, if needed.

Our daycare puts the kids lunches on plates or bowls and serves them lunch. They always have. The change would only be that the dishes are shuttled back and forth each day to be washed at home.


If I had to go thru the trouble of packing dishes everyday for my kids and snacks, I think I would expect that they would lower the rates a little. Don't you? Not a ton, but enough that they are providing any snacks and they dont have to wash as many dishes. seems overkill to me, but I dont have a child with food allergies. And even if I did, I think restricting certain foods and washing everything at night would be enough.

Interesting. I hadn't thought of this. On one hand, dd2 will not be receiving the same service as other students because we're providing all the snacks, place setting, bibs, etc.. But on the other hand, the center staff is expected to be keeping an eye on her to ensure she doesn't ingest a food allergen and if she does, they are then are required to use an epi-pen and call 911, the allergist and her parents in the event of an allergic reaction. This might be a wash. :)

[erv917]

Have you thought about just providing them with disposable plates and utensils? I am usually pretty particular about choosing the more environmentally friendly option even if it's not as convenient, but quite honestly, in that situation I think that's what I would do. Remembering to bring things home, wash, and return every single day sounds like a big PITA to me.:) Good luck.

[Elilly]

We provide utensils with each meal and keep the thicker paper plates at school.

[MamaMolly]

My guess is that they are concerned about cross contamination in the washing up process. While the chances are slight, it can happen. Residue of allergens can hang around, and not every one washes as diligently as you probably do. I know there are a lot of FA families over on www.kidswithfoodallergies.org who do not use the same utensils, pots and pans, etc. for their FA kids as they do for their non allergic children. Having your school willing to go that extra mile just in case? Man, that is a rare and wonderful thing.

If I were in your shoes I'd just send in disposable items.

[wimama]

That does seem like overkill. It seems odd to transfer the kid's food to plates.

My DS has food sensitivities, and we are now sending him with a lunch to daycare. We are sending him with a Laptop lunchbox for his lunch and I put his morning and afternoon snacks in baggies in his lunch box on top of his laptop lunch in his lunch box. It all fits nicely in his LL Bean critter lunch box. And all they have to do for lunch is open his laptop lunch for him.

Can your DD eat out the containers you pack her lunch in?