Daycare Troubles?

[momma bee]

Wow... Attempting to remove post

[kareng]

Let me get this straight....3 times in 1 month they have purposefully hurt your child? And your child is still in their care? I know this isn't what you are expecting but...YOU are the negligent one! If they had broken bones in your child 3 times in 1 month, would you still let them take care of your child? If a day care had accidentally fed your child rat poison 3 times, would they still be at that day care?

Make other arrangement, starting tomorrow!

[tarnalberry]

While I think kareng put it a little harsh, and I understand that you want to give them as much consideration as is reasonable, it IS your responsibility to make sure the place she is staying at is safe.  Don't get me wrong - I'll bet many of us here on the board made 3 mistakes in the first month of our eating gluten free, and we were the ones who had to educate ourselves on the matter!  But there just isn't room for this sort of error - your daughter hasn't been gluten free at all!

 

Is it a daycare center or an in-home day care?  If it's a center, I would not leave your child there again (yes, I realize that this affects your work) until you have met with the director and established a plan of action on how to remedy this situation.  If it's an in-home day care, I would do essentially the same - do not leave her there until you sit down with the provider and WRITE DOWN a plan of action.  Make it easy, make it simple, and make it strict.  (As in "you may not feed her any food item that did not come from our house.")

 

And yes, start looking into other options, asking out this upfront.  She is likely not going to be safe there if the provider can't bother themselves to read labels.  And if the kids are walking around with food, there are going to be crumbs everywhere (and heavens knows you can't clean them all up where kids play), which will keep her consistently contaminated.

[momma bee]

Thank you tarnalbenrry, I think putting it in writing is a good plan. I will try that tomorrow first thing in the morning.

Kareng all I can say is "wow"! Negligent? Wow!

[momma bee]

Better if i just remove response wow!

[greenbeanie]

Momma bee, I also read your original post before it was edited. In addition to tarnelberry's suggestion about writing down a plan with the daycare director, it might also help to give them an official letter from your daughter's doctor clearly stating that she must never eat any gluten or it will cause intestinal damage. Even if you've told them the exact same thing repeatedly, they may be more likely to take it seriously and realize that it's a real medical condition and not just a dietary preference if they see it in writing from a doctor.

If you can't get the doctor to write an actual letter, even just having them write "strict gluten-free diet" on a prescription pad might help. I believe that (at least in some places) licensed daycare providers usually have some sort of legal obligation to follow a doctor's prescription for administering regular medications - so since gluten-free food is the prescription in this case, you want the daycare provider to feel bound to comply with the prescription with no exceptions. And if this makes them worry about getting their license revoked if they make a "medication" mistake, so much the better!

[kareng]

maybe I was a bit harsh but I can't see leaving a child in a situation where you know they are getting hurt.  3 times that you know of. 

[1desperateladysaved]

People just don't get celiac.  Did you know that we must become teachers?  Add that to your list of titles, teachers.

[MissyBB]

I am a daycare provider. I have been providing daycare for many, many years. I know this isn't what you want to hear but daycare is not conducive to having any child with celiac disease. You should, instead, get a nanny that you can train and have your child cared for in your own, gluten-free home.

 

Here's why...............any great daycare, even those that really DO follow the gluten-free diet for a child can not guarantee that other children will not infect your child. The other children in the daycare will not be on a gluten-free diet. They eat, leave crumbs on their clothes, the floors, their hands. Even after being cleaned up they routinely put their hands in their mouths etc. Heck , I have changed a diaper two hours after eating a snack and found crumbs in the diaper because kids are, well, messy and stuff happens.

 

You will NEVER guarantee your daughter a totally gluten-free environment free from CC if she is in any daycare - centre or home daycare. Even with the very best attempts of the daycare/provider your child WILL BE subject to cc. It's fact. 

 

This is why, even though I understand celiac I just won't take any child with gluten-free diet needs. In fact, I won't take any child with special dietary needs. It's simply impossible to guarantee a child will not come into contact with the offending food with other kids in care. 

[StephanieL]

 

 

This is why, even though I understand celiac I just won't take any child with gluten-free diet needs. In fact, I won't take any child with special dietary needs. It's simply impossible to guarantee a child will not come into contact with the offending food with other kids in care. 

 

Well then, I would look forward to eventually getting sued if this is an actual day care situation. Celiac is covered under the ADA so if you are looking to get into it with the OCR, have at it!

 

This isn't about a sterileGF environment, this is about GIVING  a child a cracker cause it didn't say "gluten". That's a big DUH on the schools part.  I agree with trying a written letter explaining things. I would also be on the hunt for a daycare that gets it because contrary to MissyBB's statements, they do exist.

[MissyBB]

Well then, I would look forward to eventually getting sued if this is an actual day care situation. Celiac is covered under the ADA so if you are looking to get into it with the OCR, have at it!

 

This isn't about a sterileGF environment, this is about GIVING  a child a cracker cause it didn't say "gluten". That's a big DUH on the schools part.  I agree with trying a written letter explaining things. I would also be on the hunt for a daycare that gets it because contrary to MissyBB's statements, they do exist.

 

First off, I am in Canada. I am also a private daycare and I can not be sued for not taking on a child I can not guarantee will be safe. I just don't want to make that sort of promise when I don't have 100% control over what other families feed their kids in the morning before they come here, how another child eats messily or not etc. 

 

I also did not see the original post and am just giving my opinion based on what I have thus far read via the other replies. I don't know exactly what happened in this daycare situation, hence the reason I did not specifically comment on it.

 

I find your response rather harsh. I was simply trying to explain things from the other point of view and also offer some real, first-hand experience with regard to how kids are in a daycare environment. I wanted to explain things from a REAL POV. As much as we might want to we simply can not control what every other child might bring or do while in care that might affect another child.

 

I am sure there are wonderful daycares out there that do their very best to ensure a child does not eat an obvious gluten-free food. My point is that CC is everywhere in a daycare environment. I don't want any parent to get a false sense that just because the daycare/provider tries her best that the child is 100% safe. 

[StephanieL]

Perhaps you should refrain from posting if you haven't read then entire thing in the future. It's a good practice to get into.

 

CC isn't just in daycares, it's a fact of life. That isn't this issue here at all.

 

I wasn't being harsh just stating the facts (as they are in the US which differ in many other countries as you have said). 

[MissyBB]

Perhaps you should refrain from posting if you haven't read then entire thing in the future. It's a good practice to get into.

 

CC isn't just in daycares, it's a fact of life. That isn't this issue here at all.

 

I wasn't being harsh just stating the facts (as they are in the US which differ in many other countries as you have said). 

 Hmm...then by that premise perhaps in the future you should refrain from responding to a reply unless you know which country they are from. 

[notme]

alright, already - hey LOOK!  something SHINY!   oooooooooh!!!!!   

 

if i were going to start a daycare in the good ole us of a, i would probably make it 100% gluten free and just not tell anybody.  it's easy enough to do, shoot, if you did an allergen-free (gluten-free, df, sf, etc) you could probably make a mint.  my neice has a nut allergy and we were worried about sending her to camp, but the one church camp we checked is 100% allergen-free, so not worries of cc.  the camp directors just need to be careful and not permit any of the campers to bring food in with them.

 

i never had any of mine in daycare - didn't trust anybody lolz much less having to trust somebody to keep my kid from eating cookies with all the other crumb-crushers.  i know it's rough for parents to choose a daycare in the first place.  my grandson goes to the (state run) headstart pre-school.  it is a HUGE help for working parents and since he is an only child, he likes to play with the other kids.  it's just a half day, but every little bit helps!  he had potty training issues and GOD BLESS MISS APRIL for cleaning him up and changing his clothes - i swear she must be a saint.  she kept a special eye on him and when he started looking like he had to go, she made sure he got to the bathroom.  so, there are good people out there.  good luck and hope your little one stays well!  

[StephanieL]

Perhaps we each need a flag under our names for such purposes.

 

 

Not me, Great idea in theory but making camps/schools safe for everyone wouldn't really work. Top 8 free would help many cases but there are always oddball allergies and gluten and diabetic kids. I agree with trying to make them as safe as possible but "free" doesn't work in reality. I do dream of it though  

[frieze]

Well then, I would look forward to eventually getting sued if this is an actual day care situation. Celiac is covered under the ADA so if you are looking to get into it with the OCR, have at it!

 

This isn't about a sterileGF environment, this is about GIVING  a child a cracker cause it didn't say "gluten". That's a big DUH on the schools part.  I agree with trying a written letter explaining things. I would also be on the hunt for a daycare that gets it because contrary to MissyBB's statements, they do exist.

If it is not publicly funded, how would it be a problem?  a private provider can take whom they choose, yes?

[StephanieL]

If ANY federal funds are taken in (I believe this includes vouchers) they are required to follow ADA laws.

[kareng]

If ANY federal funds are taken in (I believe this includes vouchers) they are required to follow ADA laws.

 

 

I'm not going to argue the many many different facets of the ADA laws.  There is a facet of it pertaining to "reasonable accommodations".    It might be unreasonable to expect a day care to take a child with a medical condition that would require major accommodations.    We and the courts could argue for years if feeding a Celiac child safely is a reasonable or un-reasonable financial burden on a day care. 

 

I'm sure many day cares would try very hard to accommodate a Celiac child on their own.  The problem of the OP was that she had caught them 3 times feeding her child a wheat based snack (who know how many other times they may have done it when she didn't catch them). 

[notme]

Top 8 free would help many cases but there are always oddball allergies and gluten and diabetic kids.

true dat.  

 

i watch my brother's kids, the kid next-door, my grandson, and whatever kids wander over.  and i watch the kids at church in the 'nursery' which is actually whatever age parents don't feel like making the kids sit still through the worship service.  i am the ONLY ONE who asks if they are allergic to anything, and i hand out cookies  and read labels (just my neice is allergic so far)  but i get visitors' kids in there and it always makes me nervous.  i hand out suckers if everybody is good and helps to clean up and they are dum-dums <allergy free but not sugar free!  aaaaahhhhh!!  (i wash my hands every 2 seconds in there lolz)

[StephanieL]

I agree that this isn't a case about ADA law. This is 100% about teaching the daycare and/or pulling the child if they are unable to not feed her crackers when her parents are sending her food in to keep her safe. 

 

The ADA was a different tangent. The ADA does cover Celiac and schools have been made to provide accommodations including providing gluten free meals to students with Celiac. I don't see not feeding the kid things that her parents didn't send in as unreasonable. 

[frieze]

I agree that this isn't a case about ADA law. This is 100% about teaching the daycare and/or pulling the child if they are unable to not feed her crackers when her parents are sending her food in to keep her safe. 

 

The ADA was a different tangent. The ADA does cover Celiac and schools have been made to provide accommodations including providing gluten free meals to students with Celiac. I don't see not feeding the kid things that her parents didn't send in as unreasonable. 

the kid is legally obligated to be in school, day care, no.  and it isn't the feeding, it is the incidentals that are not overtly containable.

[StephanieL]

There is ADA law involving food issues in day care vs. school. 

 

The feeding IS the issue with the OP though. That's the problem stated here. I won't continue to muddy things with talk of other things since it's irrelevant to the OP.

 

Sorry for getting things off track OP.