Not Sure What to Think - Peanut Allergy

[crazydaycarelady]

No, that is a good thing to have in there! In fact I may add it in. I had a friend who started a baby and found out on the first day that the mom neglected to mention the had had a giant puffy open-wound like birthmark covering half his torso that required multiple salve applications and that he was on 4 different kinds of medication including pain meds!

[Thriftylady]

She did fill out a medical history and checked no for no known allergies.

Well if she checked there were no known allergies, that is all the evidence you need that she lied going in and it affects if you can properly care for the child.

[nannyde]

She did fill out a medical history and checked no for no known allergies.

How many days between when she filled that out and then told you about the allergy?

[Tasha]

How many days between when she filled that out and then told you about the allergy?

She interviewed on Thursday, and turned in the paperwork on Sunday. But there was no mention of any allergies during the interview. So I guess there was only a 2-day timeframe.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

She interviewed on Thursday, and turned in the paperwork on Sunday. But there was no mention of any allergies during the interview. So I guess there was only a 2-day timeframe.

Then she knew. You did the right thing and she will continue to have issues if she is not upfront and honest with other providers. Personally, it is not the allergy that bothered me so much with your situation. It was the convenience of when the allergy was "discovered" and how she didn't ask for you to make accommodations, but expected(demanded) it. That does not sit well with me. I am so happy you got out of that and I am glad you had this forum to help you through it! They have saved me many times and taught me soooo much!:hug:

[daycare]

I guess what i don't get is why would you want to enroll your child in an environment that would be potentially DEADLY to them.

I am vegan and without nuts I would more than likely get ill. You can't live a healthy life without protein.

Man i dont get how a parent can come in and just expect you to never purchase an item with trace nuts.

I have seen on many food items that are not nut related have a warning on them that say something like trace amounts of peanuts may be found in this product due to potential cross contact during manufacturing. It may not be word for word, but something like this.

So basically this lady expects you to now alter your entire family and daycare families diet for her child.

Not going to happen.

[Shell]

Wow, just read through this long thread!

I absolutely agree that she knew about the allergy and tried to sneak it in after you had already accepted dcg and the $.

I had a parent very casually mention that her son gets seizures a few days before he was due to start. I thought it was a very sneaky thing to do-
Just be upfront so you can get your child the help they need! But, she probably has found that being honest makes it harder to find daycare, so she figures she can just slide it in.

I am very impressed with Nannyde's advice, and am so happy that you followed what she said. Hats off to you, Nan and BC- I would have never thought of special meets special- but it is spot on.

Posts like this make this forum such a great place to learn something new.

You absolutely dodged a bullet- dcm sounds terrible to deal with and is used to getting her way!

[nannyde]

She interviewed on Thursday, and turned in the paperwork on Sunday. But there was no mention of any allergies during the interview. So I guess there was only a 2-day timeframe.

Wow. You would think that someone who was delivered that DEVASTATING new news would need TIME to learn about it, learn about how to keep the kid safe in public, and grieve. It seems to me a normal mom would take some time off of work and take stock because it IS life threatening.

For her to find out on a Friday or weekend and be WILLING to trust ANYONE with her kid seems awfully suspect.

I think she knows she has to tell the provider because it is life threatening but she waits until the provider says yes and THEN she mentions it in passing.

[nannyde]

I guess what i don't get is why would you want to enroll your child in an environment that would be potentially DEADLY to them.

I am vegan and without nuts I would more than likely get ill. You can't live a healthy life without protein.

Man i dont get how a parent can come in and just expect you to never purchase an item with trace nuts.

I have seen on many food items that are not nut related have a warning on them that say something like trace amounts of peanuts may be found in this product due to potential cross contact during manufacturing. It may not be word for word, but something like this.

So basically this lady expects you to now alter your entire family and daycare families diet for her child.

Not going to happen.

I can't imagine the financial loss of what could be, a full stock of food you have purchased for the daycare and family. If I had to rid my current stock of peanuts and trace it would leave me with very little food. An average provider couldn't afford that.

I can't imagine having to maintain the peanut free 24/7. You couldn't have peanut products even on your days off in your home.

I don't agree with requiring home providers to make this accommodation. I don't agree because it affects the home during non business hours. It's so labor intensive and the stakes are so high if you, your husband, your kids or daycare parents male a mistake. If ANYONE makes a mistake it's on you to manage and be held accountable.

I also think it's financially a hardship. The staff hours to source food and being limited to non trace foods could get very expensive.

[Unregistered]

Ok so I have to add my story! When I worked in the preschool portion of a private school, I had a child who was (allegedly) allergic to peanuts. So, (I was the director of the preschool) I had to buy all the snack supplies that were not "processed in a plant that also processes peanuts" etc... And yes that was a huge PITA and was a big expense. Also I had to watch every other child's lunches, snacks, hands and faces very closely. Well, one day the girl ate someone else's cracker that was "processed in a plant... etc" that the other kid brought to school. So, I freak out and the child looks fine and I call the mom and she asks how she looks and says not to worry if she looks fine... Okay, that was a little strange, your kid is allergic to peanuts, gets exposed, but don't worry at all. The year went on, same exhausting and expensive efforts of precautions. Then one day, at the end of the year, it was the girl's birthday. The mom brought in a Von's cake. Straight outta the bakery case from our local average mass production grocery store. What! I knew she wasn't allergic. I knew it! Ridiculous she made me go through all that. Mom's a nut herself, sorry to say it.

Now, I'm not saying the child in the OP's situation isn't allergic at all- just saying, yeah, it's a big expense and PITA - and that was at a separate location. Can't imagine in my own residence!

[daycare]

I can't imagine the financial loss of what could be, a full stock of food you have purchased for the daycare and family. If I had to rid my current stock of peanuts and trace it would leave me with very little food. An average provider couldn't afford that.

I can't imagine having to maintain the peanut free 24/7. You couldn't have peanut products even on your days off in your home.

I don't agree with requiring home providers to make this accommodation. I don't agree because it affects the home during non business hours. It's so labor intensive and the stakes are so high if you, your husband, your kids or daycare parents male a mistake. If ANYONE makes a mistake it's on you to manage and be held accountable.

I also think it's financially a hardship. The staff hours to source food and being limited to non trace foods could get very expensive.

exactly... i could only imagine what that would leave in most people's pantry.

Plain and simple, you are not able to meet the needs of the child. Due to the extreme cross contamination that everyone of your families and products you purchase come into, you can not guarantee a nut free environment.

don't be worried about this mom. I guarantee her bark is bigger than her bite.

Not to long ago i had a family try to take me to court for discrimination because i refused to enroll their newly diagnosed diabetic insulin pump wearing child. Plain and simple I could not meet the needs of the child and the state stood behind me. It never made it to court once I turned in my response to her attorney.

I would perhaps add something into your policies that state failure to disclose pertinent information regarding the health and safety of your child will result in immediate termination of care without refund. Even though my state says a family does not have disclose this, my contract says that they do. AND the state can not require me to change it. My contract is approved by an attorney.

[AmyLeigh]

I guess what i don't get is why would you want to enroll your child in an environment that would be potentially DEADLY to them.

I am vegan and without nuts I would more than likely get ill. You can't live a healthy life without protein.

Man i dont get how a parent can come in and just expect you to never purchase an item with trace nuts.
I have seen on many food items that are not nut related have a warning on them that say something like trace amounts of peanuts may be found in this product due to potential cross contact during manufacturing. It may not be word for word, but something like this.

So basically this lady expects you to now alter your entire family and daycare families diet for her child.

Not going to happen.

Dontcha know, they are special!

[daycare]

Dontcha know, they are special!

lmao....don't get me started!!!!!

[momofapreschooler]

My 3 year old has life-threatening peanut allergies.

1. I would not expect a home day care to be a safe environment unless a family member of the household also had a peanut allergy. We avoid things made with common equipment, so even if the provider was very careful, it would be a deal breaker. This is also an unfair burden on a family child care home.

2. Our child signed up for our church preschool in March (age 14 months), and school started the following August. We learned in May about the allergy. I got the director's phone and asked if she could keep her safe. She has a grandson who carries an epi pen and ensured me they could and outlined the things they would do to keep her safe (peanut free classroom but not school, where epi pen kept, who could administer) and spoke to 2 moms of kids with allergies who went to the same preschool. I also drove from the EMS station to the church and timed their drive (7minutes) and talked to EMS about their ability to get to the preschool. Your mom is crazy to try to force your hand on this.

3. Peanut allergies are protected by ADA because they are life-threatening.

4. Schools can ban nuts. This has been upheld by the courts. All children are entitled to a free and appropriate public education. Kids do not have to "compromise" with a peanut free table if a nut free school or classroom is needed to keep them safe. Schools do not have to provide "reasonable accommodations," they must provide the least restrictive environment (to the child, not the school) for a child with a disability.

5. There are phase 3 clinical trials with immunotherapy (small but increasing amounts of peanut, either orally, under the tongue or sublingually and transdermal skin patch) that will likely be FDA approved in less than 2 years. Most kids should be able to eat up to 4 peanuts with the patch and sublingual treatment, more with oral treatment. If a child could safely eat 4 peanuts, then I would think that home day cares would have to accommodate this by meal substitution (sun butter or Wow butter instead of peanut butter) if others in the home could eat peanuts freely. (Sending prayers that phase 3 trials look as promising as earlier studies, because this allergy stinks!)

6. 3 of the 5 child care centers we looked at were peanut free, and one said they would consider going peanut free if my child enrolled. We ended up staying at our church preschool, which we love. All parents send food for their own children. Her class is supposed to be peanut/nut free. Sometimes parents forget. Teachers check all lunches. If a child has peanut products, that child has to either eat in the office with the director or the snack is returned home unopened. On special occasions like birthdays, I send a peanut free cupcake and ice cream because most of those treats may contain peanuts. Some of the parents try really hard to go out of their way to accommodate.

7. Children under 5 do not live in the "real world" and cannot appreciate the risk of death. Young children do need special accommodations until they are old enough to realize the gravity of the situation. If a child kills another, they cannot be charged with murder under a certain age because we know they cannot appreciate their actions. I do think that society needs to accommodate up to that age of responsibility.

8. Many kids with food allergies attend daycare or preschool. Kids do not need a nanny because of food allergies, But, unless the home is already peanut free due to an allergy or intolerance, home daycare is not the right environment in my opinion.

[nannyde]

My 3 year old has life-threatening peanut allergies.

1. I would not expect a home day care to be a safe environment unless a family member of the household also had a peanut allergy. We avoid things made with common equipment, so even if the provider was very careful, it would be a deal breaker. This is also an unfair burden on a family child care home.

2. Our child signed up for our church preschool in March (age 14 months), and school started the following August. We learned in May about the allergy. I got the director's phone and asked if she could keep her safe. She has a grandson who carries an epi pen and ensured me they could and outlined the things they would do to keep her safe (peanut free classroom but not school, where epi pen kept, who could administer) and spoke to 2 moms of kids with allergies who went to the same preschool. I also drove from the EMS station to the church and timed their drive (7minutes) and talked to EMS about their ability to get to the preschool. Your mom is crazy to try to force your hand on this.

3. Peanut allergies are protected by ADA because they are life-threatening.

4. Schools can ban nuts. This has been upheld by the courts. All children are entitled to a free and appropriate public education. Kids do not have to "compromise" with a peanut free table if a nut free school or classroom is needed to keep them safe. Schools do not have to provide "reasonable accommodations," they must provide the least restrictive environment (to the child, not the school) for a child with a disability.

5. There are phase 3 clinical trials with immunotherapy (small but increasing amounts of peanut, either orally, under the tongue or sublingually and transdermal skin patch) that will likely be FDA approved in less than 2 years. Most kids should be able to eat up to 4 peanuts with the patch and sublingual treatment, more with oral treatment. If a child could safely eat 4 peanuts, then I would think that home day cares would have to accommodate this by meal substitution (sun butter or Wow butter instead of peanut butter) if others in the home could eat peanuts freely. (Sending prayers that phase 3 trials look as promising as earlier studies, because this allergy stinks!)

6. 3 of the 5 child care centers we looked at were peanut free, and one said they would consider going peanut free if my child enrolled. We ended up staying at our church preschool, which we love. All parents send food for their own children. Her class is supposed to be peanut/nut free. Sometimes parents forget. Teachers check all lunches. If a child has peanut products, that child has to either eat in the office with the director or the snack is returned home unopened. On special occasions like birthdays, I send a peanut free cupcake and ice cream because most of those treats may contain peanuts. Some of the parents try really hard to go out of their way to accommodate.

7. Children under 5 do not live in the "real world" and cannot appreciate the risk of death. Young children do need special accommodations until they are old enough to realize the gravity of the situation. If a child kills another, they cannot be charged with murder under a certain age because we know they cannot appreciate their actions. I do think that society needs to accommodate up to that age of responsibility.

8. Many kids with food allergies attend daycare or preschool. Kids do not need a nanny because of food allergies, But, unless the home is already peanut free due to an allergy or intolerance, home daycare is not the right environment in my opinion.

May I ask if the peanut free programs you have visited male all meals and snacks from scratch? Do they have fully functioning kitchens with cooks and buy ingredients that, when put together and cooked, become the four components of the meal?

Or...

Are they heat and serve... meaning they buy commercially prepared food that is heated up and served?

I'm specifically interested in the main course and hot dish sides. I understand they can purchase cold cereal and breads for breakfast and raw fruit, canned fruit, canned vegetables that are nut free and trace free... I'm specifically interested in multi ingredient hot foods.

I know there are commercial food vendors... like Farner Bocken that make commercial foods like meatballs, nuggets, corn dogs etc that are nut free. Are companies like that making it possible for schools to serve peanut free because they advertise peanut free, they assume liability for authentication, and they make it possible for their to be limited staff because the only thing that has to be done is heating.

I have a reason for asking... I hope you can.shed some light on HOW the schools pull it off.