Not Sure What to Think - Peanut Allergy

[Tasha]

Last week I interviewed a nice couple who have a sweet 3-year-old girl, who I thought would fit in nicely with our group.
On Sunday, they came by to drop off the paperwork with plans to start a week from Monday. A couple of hours ago I received a text from the mom who said that her daughter was diagnosed with a peanut allergy this morning, and that she'll be emailing me later this evening a list of accommodations that will be needed for her care.
This may or may not be okay; I just don't know. I already have a daughter with Type 1 diabetes who requires a restricted diet, and it can be challenging at times. I have to be tenacious about her blood sugar levels, and now I'll need to be extra vigilant about another child's diet. I'll have to wait and see what accommodations need to be made before I decide whether I can do it or not, but at this point do I even have a choice? I've already accepted her into care and now I can't turn her away, can I? And the text was worded in such a way that she was going to tell me the accommodations, not ask me, and now I feel very nervous.

[mamamanda]

Make sure you find out what type of allergy it is. Some kids just can't eat peanuts while some can't even touch them. A lot of schools have gone to peanut free b/c peanut allergies are so common. It does feel overwhelming at first, but the diet can be managed pretty easily once you get the hang of it. Hang in there! Good luck!

[Leigh]

Were I in this situation, I would be honest with DCM, and tell her that I can not guarantee the safety of her child. My home is FAR from peanut free, and it's going to stay that way. I would encourage her to seek a situation that is able to keep her daughter safe. That said, there are different degrees of allergy-I am allergic to peanuts, too. I'm allergic to most everything (fish, beef, corn, strawberries, chicken, dairy, PEANUTS). I eat most of the things that I am allergic to, including peanuts-the only allergy that is dangerous for me is the strawberry one. The others can cause some discomfort, but only one is hazardous for me.

[bklsmum]

Is it just me that finds it weird that they just diagnosed this?

[LysesKids]

Is it just me that finds it weird that they just diagnosed this?

I agree... normally kids get into peanut butter & such before 3 years; heck, I have 1 year olds eating it. If there was an allergy that was that bad I think they would already know. Believe me, most my babies that have allergy issues start showing signs by 12 months ( inc chemicals/scents which is one of my issues); BTW, I also have 3 allergies that are life threatening... 2 are food that I can NEVER EAT in any form much less touch ( needless to say I do not serve them in my childcare home )

[MyAngels]

Is it just me that finds it weird that they just diagnosed this?

That's what I thought, too. I'd say she disclosed the allergy at other interviews and was turned down for care. I'd reply to the text: "Thank you for letting me know. Forward the list to me and I will determine if I will be able to provide child care services at that time."

I did have a child with a peanut allergy once and while it was a PITA at times it wasn't difficult. I was glad when he aged out though.

[Baby Beluga]

That's what I thought, too. I'd say she disclosed the allergy at other interviews and was turned down for care. I'd reply to the text: "Thank you for letting me know. Forward the list to me and I will determine if I will be able to provide child care services at that time."

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I would ask for a doctor's note stating when the allergy was diagnosed (I would think this is possible) and say exactly as the previous poster stated. "Once I have a doctor's note and the necessary accommodations, I will be let you know if I am able to provide care."

I think it is is fishy that at 3, she is just being diagnosed, conveniently after being accepted into your care. That is just me being a skeptic, but I would not et her start setting the terms before she has even started attending daycare. I do not do well with the whole "this is what you will need to do". A better way would have been to let you of the allergy and the accommodation needed and asking if you will still be able to provide care, not expecting it.

[Tasha]

Is it just me that finds it weird that they just diagnosed this?

And this is the million dollar question, and I was hoping someone would bring it up. I really know nothing about allergies, but it does seem odd to me. The timing seems a little too pat...
Ugh. I have a sick feeling about this one.

[Controlled Chaos]

Allergies can increase in severity as a child ages sometimes. My nephew wasn't diagnosed until 3rd grade.

[Tasha]

Allergies can increase in severity as a child ages sometimes. My nephew wasn't diagnosed until 3rd grade.

How did your nephew get diagnosed? Did he have a reaction and then get tested on the same day?

[Sunchimes]

I had one too. She wasn't at a life-threatening level, but it caused skin issues that required doctor/ER visits. It was a royal pain. It isn't just a matter of avoiding peanut butter either. Peanuts are in things you would never think about. Even worse are the things that don't contain peanuts but were made with equipment that may have processed peanuts. I spent a lot of time in the grocery aisle squinting at the small print on food labels. ::

That said, it was do-able at her level. If her reactions had been worse, I probably wouldn't have taken her. In the year she was here, she never had a reaction from daycare. She had 2 ER visits from things she got at home. I eat 2 kinds of sandwiches-peanut butter and tuna. It was a long, long year for me. ::

Are allergies covered by ADA?

[Tasha]

I had one too. She wasn't at a life-threatening level, but it caused skin issues that required doctor/ER visits. It was a royal pain. It isn't just a matter of avoiding peanut butter either. Peanuts are in things you would never think about. Even worse are the things that don't contain peanuts but were made with equipment that may have processed peanuts. I spent a lot of time in the grocery aisle squinting at the small print on food labels. ::

That said, it was do-able at her level. If her reactions had been worse, I probably wouldn't have taken her. In the year she was here, she never had a reaction from daycare. She had 2 ER visits from things she got at home. I eat 2 kinds of sandwiches-peanut butter and tuna. It was a long, long year for me. ::

Are allergies covered by ADA?

I just got an email from DCM that said the main issue was that I won't
be able to serve anything with peanuts or any store-bought
items that have a ''may contain'' label because the doctor said she was ''severely allergic.'' Plus she wants to make sure
that the daycare kids wash their hands and their faces when they arrive
in the mornings. She said she would call me tomorrow to discuss this
at length. I'm not sure exactly how I am going to respond but I know
I need to be very careful.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I just got an email from DCM that said the main issue was that I won't
be able to serve anything with peanuts or any store-bought
items that have a ''may contain'' label because the doctor said she was ''severely allergic.'' Plus she wants to make sure
that the daycare kids wash their hands and their faces when they arrive
in the mornings. She said she would call me tomorrow to discuss this
at length. I'm not sure exactly how I am going to respond but I know
I need to be very careful.

I think you need to decide if you would like to take this child on and make the accommodations or not. If you do, then a doctor's note, and medical history form should be filled out and I would really consider asking mom point blank when the allergy was discovered. You said you interviewed her last week, she dropped papers on sunday, and then texted you a few hours later about the allergy, so either she knew about the allergy beforehand and did not tell you, or they found out just a few days after your interview (again, hate to be a skeptic, but I doubt it was that coincidental). The doctor should be able to give you a date of when the allergy was discovered or noted on the medical records. If mom knew prior to your interview, I would not take them and tell them they were not honest and therefore you cannot work with them. That is legal, as you are not taking the child because of dishonesty, not the nut allergy.

If you don't want to take the child on, then do not blame the nut allergy, and just tell them, due to schedule changes (or whatever), you can no longer accept them. Refund any money and move on. Do not bring up the allergy.

This is just my opinion having read quite a bit about nut allergies recently. They are (kind of) covered under the ADA, but just as with any disability, both the parent and provider must make reasonable accommodations. I may get a lot of heat for this, but in my home, cutting out peanuts/PB/anything containing or made around peanuts would be very hard to do ad I could not knowingly take the risk of having a child here with such a severe allergy if I cannot keep my home entirely peanut free. Just think if you have 8-10 kids arriving each day and you have to make sure their hands are peanut free, that they don't have their leftover PB & J sandwich on their shirt, ect...it would be too scary for me. I do not know your town, but many daycare centers are already nut free, so it would probably be safer for her cild to attend one of them than to make you alter your whole program and hope you don't make a mistake. Hope this helps and I am sure more experienced providers who have dealt with this can give you good advice. As long as you don't blame the nut allergy for not watching her, then the burden of proof is on them if they want to pursue legal action from what I have read.

[Silly Songs]

I was going to suggest a center too . However , one time at lunch I had a dish w peanut sauce ( out at a restaurant ) and I had to wash my hands and change my shirt before I went back into the class .I did that on my own .There is no 100 percent guarantee that the children or teachers in the centers don't have any pb on their hands when they arrive . If my child had a severe allergy that could affect their health, I would hire a nanny.