Develop allergy-aware environments
This involves teamwork and a combination of awareness, avoidance measures, and medication.
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Go to top of current page: Develop allergy-aware environments
Go to top of current page: Develop allergy-aware environments
Develop allergy-aware environments
Develop allergy-aware environments
Knowing how people with food allergies need to take care of themselves enables everyone to share the responsibility.
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Source: Ministry of Education
Value whānau expertise
Value whānau expertise
Attitudes to allergies will differ across and within communities, families, and cultural groups.
- Involve parents and learners (when age appropriate) in all levels of policy and procedure reviews focused on allergies.
- Support parents by providing notice of upcoming food events so they can contribute.
- Listen to the concerns of parents, whānau, and caregivers – provide multiple ways of communicating with your learning community (newsletters, parents’ meetings, social media, and posters).
- Engage your learning community in building an understanding of allergies, particularly of life-threatening anaphylaxis.
- Explicitly seek out parent, whānau, and learner voice and ask, “What would help?”
- Make time for frequent and regular conversations with parents and whānau to learn more about effective safety strategies.
- Recognise the emotional impact allergies can have on families and encourage their contributions.
Work in partnership
Work in partnership
Getting relief from allergies at school is a combination of things – you can't pop a pill and be done with it. It involves a lot of teamwork, and a combination of awareness, avoidance measures, and medication.
Gina Shaw, Pediatric asthma and allergy specialist
Food bans
Food bans
Banning food is not recommended.
Removing food from early learning services should occur only following recommendation from a relevant medical specialist and the provision of documentation of this recommendation.
For more information refer to:
Respect privacy
Respect privacy
Consider the privacy of children and young people when displaying personal health information.
Discuss where action plans will be displayed and address any concerns with the:
- parents of identified children and young people
- young person themselves (depending on their age).
Useful resources
Useful resources
Allergy NZ- ECE service
Read time: 6 min
These guidelines will help with minimising risk for children in ECE environments.
Food allergy education for the community
This website provides support, information, and resources to support food allergy education.
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Create inclusive systems”:
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Current page Develop allergy-aware environments
Return to the guide “Allergies and learning”
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Supporting ākonga Māori
Understand:
- How to use this guide
Strategies for action:
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Developing cultural capabilityShow suggestions for Developing cultural capability
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Explore Māori perspectives on inclusionShow suggestions for Explore Māori perspectives on inclusion
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Know your Māori learnersShow suggestions for Know your Māori learners
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Establish reciprocal relationshipsShow suggestions for Establish reciprocal relationships
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Build community networksShow suggestions for Build community networks
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Co-design a culturally sustaining environmentShow suggestions for Co-design a culturally sustaining environment
