Preschool/daycare Education Help?

[celiactoddlermom]

Any advice about educating daycares/preschools?  I just witnessed my daughter taking shared fruit loops from a friend at daycare.  The daycare is generally extremely careful so I'm not sure how to avoid this.  My daughter is learning, but is only 2.5 years old.  After I asked her to spit out the fruit loops, she said "but my belly is feeling much better!"  Poor thing (just diagnosed 1 month ago).  Thanks in advance.

[africanqueen99]

My youngest (2.5) is in the Kids Morning Out program at our school district's early childhood center.  Because it's through a federally-funded school district they put together a 504 plan for her - as required by law.

 

She's the only kid in her class on a 504 (in fact, the first one in this KMO program on one) so I worked with the Director, Nurse, Teacher and Aide from the ground up.  With the exception of snack (KMO provides snack for every kid but mine), the entire room is safe for my kid - sensory table, arts and crafts, etc.  They only use gluten-free play-doh.  Seriously, it's like a safehaven for her.   I researched everything in the room (so much so that they even came to me when they were running out of Soft Soap to find out if another brand in the building would work) and the district has one person that contacts all manufacturers regarding allergens for all the schools.  It's a pretty awesome scenario. 

 

In regards to food/snack: food is only distributed during snack - there is no walking around with food.  Period.  My kid gets her own food in a container she can open - if she needs help she is served first, before gluten touches the teacher's hand.  She sits on the end (head of the table) so she isn't sandwiched in between two gluten eaters.  Children are NOT allowed to share food - because, well, it's gross and kids are dirty.  And, here's the biggie, all the kids made a "placemat" on the first day (specifically for my kid, but they all made one).  The placemat if their personal bubble and it's a visual reminder of other people's space (much like the elementary kids use their napkins as their visual barrier for other kids).

 

Yes, it's up to her to learn, but she's much too young to do it alone.  This is 100% on the daycare to keep her safe.

 

You'll get there - the learning curve those first months are a nightmare!

[celiactoddlermom]

My youngest (2.5) is in the Kids Morning Out program at our school district's early childhood center.  Because it's through a federally-funded school district they put together a 504 plan for her - as required by law.

 

She's the only kid in her class on a 504 (in fact, the first one in this KMO program on one) so I worked with the Director, Nurse, Teacher and Aide from the ground up.  With the exception of snack (KMO provides snack for every kid but mine), the entire room is safe for my kid - sensory table, arts and crafts, etc.  They only use gluten-free play-doh.  Seriously, it's like a safehaven for her.   I researched everything in the room (so much so that they even came to me when they were running out of Soft Soap to find out if another brand in the building would work) and the district has one person that contacts all manufacturers regarding allergens for all the schools.  It's a pretty awesome scenario. 

 

In regards to food/snack: food is only distributed during snack - there is no walking around with food.  Period.  My kid gets her own food in a container she can open - if she needs help she is served first, before gluten touches the teacher's hand.  She sits on the end (head of the table) so she isn't sandwiched in between two gluten eaters.  Children are NOT allowed to share food - because, well, it's gross and kids are dirty.  And, here's the biggie, all the kids made a "placemat" on the first day (specifically for my kid, but they all made one).  The placemat if their personal bubble and it's a visual reminder of other people's space (much like the elementary kids use their napkins as their visual barrier for other kids).

 

Yes, it's up to her to learn, but she's much too young to do it alone.  This is 100% on the daycare to keep her safe.

 

You'll get there - the learning curve those first months are a nightmare!

Thank you!  Such great advice.  Not a federally funded program in my case, so will have to propose these ideas and hopefully they will go along with it.  I would love a copy of a "504" plan - any examples exist out there that have been shared and that you know of?

[SMRI]

504 Plans are individual plans and not likely to be shared because of privacy issues.  They are written documents that tell a school what they have to provide for a child.  Each child will have different accommodations based on their own needs.  That will not really help you educate the day care.  The biggest thing they need to learn is that your child can not share food, period.  They many have to seat her differently at snack and meal times or have a day care worker sit with her to make sure she only eats food that she can.  Now, they are NOT obligated to accommodate her if they do not receive federal funding so be prepared for that and maybe have a back-up plan in place if they tell you they can't watch her as closely as needed.

[africanqueen99]

Actually, most of us will share our 504 plans so we don't have to reinvent the wheel.

 

Here's the one I have for my toddler (it is similar, but not the same, as the one for my older kid).  Key points:

- only food from home and either NOT touched by any adult or served first

- her eating space needs to be clean before she sits

- she should eat at the end of the table (sandwiching the celiac preschooler between other gluten eaters is a bad idea)

- have a "birthday box" that she can have a treat from there when others bring in cupcakes/cookies for their day, but the school is encouraging non-edibles for birthday treats

- unrestricted access to bathroom and handwashing station (NO use of hand santizer) with safe soap

- safe sensory table contents

- safe art supplies