Keeping Kids with Food Allergies Safe at School

Keeping kids with food allergies safe at school requires cooperation between parents, the school administrators, and staff. As a parent, it's your responsibility, and your right, to see to it that the school environment is as safe for your child as it is for all the children.

Food allergies include allergies to fish and shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts, eggs, cow's milk, soy and sensitivity to cereal grains or gluten, this last may be either celiac disease or gluten intolerance. As a parent, you do have options that lower the risk to your child's health due to food allergies while at school.

Set up a 504 Plan
If your child's allergy is life threatening and exposure to the allergen likely results in anaphylactic shock, consider asking the school administrative staff to implement a 504 Plan for your child.

Section 504 originated with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and in now a part of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The section clarifies that students with disabilities may not be discriminated against in any programs or activities that receive federal funding.

School lunch programs are federally funded, so the program must accommodate those whose food allergies would otherwise prevent them from participating in the program.

Under a 504 Plan, the cafeteria staff makes available substitute meals for your child. You need medical documentation that indicates your child suffers from a debilitating, and possibly life threatening, reaction to specified foods. You also need to work directly with the school administration and cafeteria staff to implement the plan.

Work with Teachers and Staff
Not all food allergies or sensitivities fall under the protection of the disabilities act, but that doesn't mean the school staff won't work with you to keep your child safe.

Meet with the school principal and your child's teachers and explain that while your child has sensitivities that may not cause a life threatening situation, his food allergies are detrimental to his health.

Ask to meet with the cafeteria staff and discuss the best ways to accommodate your child's dietary needs. Assure the staff and the principal that you'll assist in any way possible. Keep in mind the cafeteria staff serves several hundred children a day. Be prepared to devote time to aid the staff in meeting your child's specific needs.

Food in the classroom may also be an issue for your child. Classroom parties often include cookies, ice cream, pizza and snack foods. If your child is sensitive to gluten, dairy or soy, he may be at risk from exposure if the teacher is unaware of his food allergy or sensitivity.

Ask your child's teachers to notify you a few days before classroom parties or other events involving food. Explain that you'll provide a quantity of food your child can eat as well as share with others. If possible, volunteer to help with the parties on those days, so you can limit the risk of exposure.

Network with Other Parents
As of 2007, approximately 3 million children under the age of 18 suffer from food allergies, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That translates to four out of every one hundred children, so chances are other children in your child's school have food allergies.

Work with the principal to network with other parents. Even if the school is not legally obligated to accommodate for certain food allergies, staff and administrators are more likely to find ways to assist you if the needs of a larger group of children are also being met.

Having a network of other food allergy parents also means the extra work required to keep food allergy kids safe is shared. If teachers and cafeteria staff see that parents are prepared to get involved in keeping kids safe, they're more likely to respond in a positive manner. You'll feel better about your child's safety, and he'll be less likely to feel ostracized if he's aware that other children have food allergies as well.

References:
Kids with Food Allergies Foundation
U.S. Dept of Agriculture
Food Allergy Smart
Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Further Reading
Foodie Lifestyle Reduces Risk for Heart Disease and Treats Celiac Disease
Foods for a Productive Breakfast Meeting
Eating Local: Fall Vegetables in the Produce Aisle