Managing Allergies in Daycare

Topics: Health & Safety 

Age Range: Preschool 

If your child has allergies—whether to food, medication, or something else—you may wonder how you can support them in managing these allergies in daycare. Here are some ways you can manage your child’s allergies in daycare.

Talk to your child’s doctor

Before your child starts daycare, talk with your child’s pediatrician. They can give you general tips to help your child manage their allergies in daycare, as well as advice that’s specific to your child’s unique concerns. They can also help you come up with best practices and an emergency plan if needed.

Talk to your child’s daycare

A good daycare center will have experience with common allergies and have a policy for supporting them. Make sure that your child’s daycare center is well-versed in first aid and CPR training as well. Let them know about your child’s specific allergies, the symptoms, any medication they take, and what they need. Your child’s teachers should ensure that your child’s needs are respected, and will monitor your child and update you regularly on what they do to accommodate your child’s allergy. Don’t feel nervous about asking specific questions about things like hand-washing or what children are taught about allergies. Your child’s daycare is your parenting partner—they’ll be happy to help!

Get your child involved with managing their allergies

Even young children can be empowered to understand their food allergy. For example, if your child is allergic to milk, explain to them that milk can make them feel very sick. Teach them to identify milk in a carton, a glass, or other foods that use milk. If your child has experienced this allergy already, ask them to tell you how it felt. Otherwise, you can tell them how they might feel if they accidentally have some milk. This will give them the tools to talk to their daycare teacher about it as well.

You can also include your child in allergy management and teach them important skills they can use when they get older. You can model allergy management behavior like reading ingredient labels and asking if certain foods have the specific allergen in them. Let your child help you select food that’s safe for them to consume. If your child needs to bring medication with them, make it an obvious part of your daily routine, and encourage them to make sure they have their medication every day.

For more ideas on helping manage your child’s allergies in preschool, visit FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) and Kids With Food Allergies.