tips for transitioning into child care

Protect Your Child From Consuming A Food Or Beverage That They Are Allergic To

If your preschooler is allergic to milk-based products and he/she will be attending daycare next spring, the tips below will protect your child from consuming a product that is not part of their diet and will assist with ensuring that your child receives a wholesome breakfast, lunch, and snack while at the daycare facility.

Inform Staff Members In Person And Provide An Ephenaphrine Injector

After signing your child up for daycare, speak to staff members about your child's allergy. Of course, you will most likely already have provided this information to the daycare director when you filled out paperwork to enroll your child, but it is a good idea to verbally express that your preschooler is lactose intolerant so that every worker will be aware of the allergy. If your child's allergy is severe and an ephenaphrine injector is needed if a milk-based product is accidentally consumed, leave an injector at the daycare facility and provide written instructions for its use.

Inquire About A Daily Menu And Substitutions That Are Offered

Ask the person who is in charge of preparing meals at the daycare if you could have a copy of the daily menu that is provided to the children. If there are items on the menu that contain milk-based products, ask the staff member about substitution beverages and foods that are offered. Request that you are provided with a list of items that your child will be given each day of the week so that you are reassured that they won't be provided with a milk-based item.

Prepare And Pack Alternatives For Your Child

If you are only comfortable with providing your child with food items that you have prepared at home, come up with a list snacks and meals that are similar to the ones being served at the daycare and prepare and pack items the night before so that you can grab the food and beverages right before heading out the door to transport your child to daycare.

Let the director of the daycare know that you will be providing your child's meals and ask them to store the items inside of a refrigerator prior to being heated up for breakfast, snack time, or lunch. When you pick your child up from daycare, retrieve empty bowls, dishes, or utensils that you dropped off earlier in the day so that you can bring the items home and wash them.

Contact a daycare, like Kidstown Drop-In Child Care Center, for more help.


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