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Allergies and intolerances

After school childcare for multiple allergy kids

8 replies

LoveShortbread · 20/04/2015 14:14

Hello,

Our son has multiple food allergy and he carries EpiPens.
He starts school from this September and we are looking around for after school childcare.

We narrow our choices down to an after school club (outside of school run by company) or a childminder.

I spoke to Anaphylaxis Campaign helpline and they suggested to check the carer's emergency medical insurance if they are covered for giving EpiPens.
And they said professional establishment tend to be covered better than an individuals.

How did everyone choose after school childcare?
Any pros and cons for after school club vs a childminder?

I'd be grateful if you could share with what your after school childcares are.

Many thanks.

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LoveShortbread · 20/04/2015 14:16

I am sorry I have posted in hurry.
I mean
'I'd be grateful if you could share your experience of after school childcares.'

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Namelesswonder · 20/04/2015 14:22

My DD(7) has Coeliac disease and multiple allergies....lots of issues - she goes to an after school club and holiday club run by an independent company. They have always great with her. I chose them above a child minder as they had experience of dealing with allergies / intolerances, had regular training and skill updates and we're just generally very clued up. Also, if anything were to happen then there are multiple adults around to take care of issues while other children can be cared for by others - not the case at a child minder. HTH

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LoveShortbread · 20/04/2015 14:58

Thank you Namelesswonder,
It's really good points about after school club.
I will visit them again and talk about the allergy and ask some questions.

Thanks again.

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BackforGood · 20/04/2015 15:13

I'd say it's very individual - you get excellent CMs, who may very well have had similar dc before, or may even have this with their own dc, but, equally, you have less experienced CMs.
After school club jobs tend to be poorly paid, and, in all honesty, not great hours, so there can be a higher staff turnover, so you ensure all is well when you fist start there, but then staff change and people forget the new staff have not yet been trained, and so forth.

It really is down to comparing the real options you have available to you. We can't generally say one option is better or worse than another.

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LoveShortbread · 20/04/2015 15:43

Thank you BackforGood,
Yes, I think we need to revisit them again and evaluate again.

This is new chapter of our life and it's exciting but sometime I am nervous about it.

Thanks again for your message.

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vvviola · 20/04/2015 15:49

We've gone for a childminder from next September as I felt better about explaining the issues to one person rather than feeling I needed to make sure that everyone knew.

(Although, slight differences in my situation - DD2 aged 3, allergic to dairy and egg, but no anaphylaxis or need for epipen, and potentially starting to outgrow them).

We have used an Afterschool club successfully over the holidays though and they were very good (although apparently big sister DD1 aged 7, hovered near her sister checking every mouthful of food, which can't have gone down well with the staff!)

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LoveShortbread · 20/04/2015 20:47

Thank you vvviola,
It's nice that big sister is watching out for her.Smile

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meglet · 20/04/2015 20:52

Ds goes to the after school club. It's run by school staff who have all had epi-pen training as part of their TA roles.

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