Each month, Child Care Resources publishes the Child Care News newsletter. Each edition will share information from one of our departments, and any pertinent or time sensitive information.

Managing Food Allergies in Children

A food allergy occurs when a person’s immune system reacts to a harmless substance by mistake to try to protect the body. This reaction is helpful against germs, but not good when it happens with food. The next time the child eats that food, the body releases chemicals that can affect the lungs, heart, blood vessels, stomach, and skin.

Food allergies usually occur in children under the age of seven who have other allergies and who are born to families with a history of allergies. In the United States, one out of 20 children has a food allergy. Any food can cause an allergic reaction in children. However, there are eight foods that are responsible for 90% of all allergic reactions: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (cashews and walnuts), soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish.

It is important for child care providers to ask parents about a family history of food allergies. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that if there is a family history of allergies, solid foods should not be given to the infant until they are six-months-old. Dairy products should not be given until one year of age; eggs until two years; and peanuts, nuts, and fish until three years of age.

Child care providers can manage allergies in child care by:

• Allergy Special Needs Health Care Plan for each child with a diagnosed food allergy (required).
• Posting signs of the presence of a particular allergy and the allergens to be avoided.
• Good hand washing before and after meals.
• Having a caregiver sit with the children during mealtime to make sure that food is not shared.
• Cleaning food preparation surfaces, utensils, and equipment.
• Serving fresh foods rather than processed foods whenever possible. If serving processed foods, carefully check food labels and ingredient lists.

Please contact Shelly Meyer, RN, Child Care Health Consultant at Child Care Resources for more information on food allergies, to borrow the Allergy Kit for your program, or to get a copy of the Allergy Special Needs Health Care Plan.

Immunization Record Awards

Congratulations to the following providers who have had 100% up-to-date immunization records for five years or more:

15 years
Fort Courage

14 years
Children’s Center/Karen Welt
Child Start/Head Start: Danielle Jenkins

11 years
Renee Skarsten
Spirit at Play/Kelly Clouse

9 years
ASUM Learning Center 2
ASUM Learning Center 3
Charlene Bezdicek
Karen McGee
Theresa Zetterberg

8 years
ASUM Early Learning Center
Diana Clifford
Roxie Bryant
Iddy Biddies
Janel Reep/Dragonfly Childcare

7 years
ASUM Learning Center 1
Discovery Child Care and Preschool
Early Head Start

6 years
Dave Cook/First Class Child Care
Tanya Sharbono