To want the nursery to accommodate dd dietary requirements

[Dramajustfollowsme]

I booked my dd at nursery last year. I told them about her being lactose intolerant and they said it would not be a problem.
I've just had her induction and they have changed the rules. They now want me to provide a packed lunch and all snacks for her. Whilst they will feed all the other children. They will be able to have a hot meal but they won't reheat food for my dd. This means she will always have to have cold food - right through winter.
I'm also worried that she might become fussy if she always has a packed lunch from home.
I asked if i could see the menu and just take in substitutes where necessary. They said that another child had had a severe reaction so now like to keep it all separate.
There is also the cost. I'm not getting a discount despite the fact they won't be supplying her food.
Ive started phoning round but there is a real shortage of child care in this area. Not unheard of for kids to be signed up before they are born.
We are trying to reintroduce dairy but it is a slow process. I don't want to be the awkward parent but I want my dd to be well fed too.

This is probably in the wake of that poor little boy who died when a nursery worker fed him baby food with milk in it when he was seriously allergic. There is probably nothing you can do as they simply won't be willing to take the risk of anything happening to a child in their care, and you need them more than they need you.

Gosh I'd be seriously pissed off if I were you. Not so much that they can't supply food for her but at their lack of flexibility re heating up food and reducing fees. DD is CMP allergic and I take all her food into nursery for her but they supply the menu (which rotates on a two weekly basis) and I bulk cook similar menus which they then heat up for her on the day.

I'm not sure what you can do but wonder whether this isn't somehow an inclusion issue?

There is always the risk, using an external childcare provider, that food stuffs could get mixed up.

I'd go for the packed lunch option, and ask for a discount. although in the great scheme of bulk buying and mass production, it would only amount to pence a day.

Not having a hot meal, even in winter is not going to affect her, it really isnt.

Nobody needs hot food. It is all the same temperature once it is swallowed anyway.. hot or cold!

It's called disabiliity discrimination, it is illegal.

I didn't know that had happened. Poor little boy. I just thought it was ott. The sooner she is able to tolerate dairy the better. She is fine with it baked in food and cheese at the moment. Yoghurt is the next step. Fingers crossed.
They won't even reheat food though. I would send her with soup and casserole etc on cold days but no it has to be cold. I can see me having to nip round from work, in the snow, handing in hot soup! I even asked about a flask but they weren't keen.

I really don't think it's covered by the DDA. The nursery aren't obliged to cater for dietary requirements.

Why the need for hot food? The place is heated in winter I presume, she isn't going to be cold.

Give her a warm breakfast, and she can have a warm dinner when she gets home.. a sandwich in the daytime will be fine. Nobody needs a hot meal every time they eat in winter!

There is no need for hot food. Cold is just fine. As others have said.

I have no idea if it falls under the DDA but I can understand their concern.

I'm used to cooking up batches for her but hoped that like blame mentioned it could be similar to what everyone else was having. The thought of sandwiches and pasta salad everyday is quite depressing when all the other children will be having something much nicer.

Not sure what you can do about the nurseries position on this, maybe contact ofsted and get their thoughts?
Could you send hot food in a flask? You can get proper flasks for food. I do this for dd sometimes as her school is packed lunch only.

I know she doesn't need a hot meal everytime. She doesn't get that at home. I would just like some variety in her diet.

YANBU, but so is the nursery! I can see both sides - they don't want to take the risk of anything going wrong. However I do think that you should get a discount if they are not providing food although as Jumping says it may not even be £1 a day.
Unfortunately if they are sticking to their stance there really isn't much you can do except deal with it or find an alternative.

What about considering a CM?

I don't think allergies (and therefore intolerances) are included under DDA. I had a thread going on this once, and the general consensus seemed to be that it wasn't, although things might change if there was ever a test case.

To be honest Drama I wouldn't ask them about flasks, I'd just assume it was OK and send her food in in them. I can't see any legitimate objection to you doing that...

Dramajustfollowsme

We are trying to reintroduce dairy but it is a slow process. I don't want to be the awkward parent but I want my dd to be well fed too.

I thought that if someone was "lactose intolerant" then you can't 'introduce dairy'. If you can eat some dairy stuff, that means you're not lactose intolerant. Am I wrong?

You should be getting a discount and they can heat her food for her. She needs a microwaveable tupperware, a brightly coloured plastic plate and cuttlery that's significantly different (coloured handles) to what the nursery use and a zippy lunch bag that they'll fit in.

It would be a DDA Issue if they were saying she couldn't go because of it. However, this seems like a sensible option to ensure she is kept safe

Think you can flatpack, my friend is doing exactly the same thing with her ds at the mo.

uhm....if they are being difficult about you taking in a flask, then they are just being difficult. Because for them, this is no different to cold food in a box. This point, to me, highlights that they are being unaccomodating on purpose and I would speak with the manager and/or take her somewhere else

If she is lactose intolerant, rather than allergic, and can actually eat cheese and cooked food with milk in, how many of the meals would be a problem anyway? Surely they just need to avoid giving her milk to drink and any milk-based desserts?

I think in your position I would try to go in and have a chat about getting advanced notice of menus and only substituting ones that are likely to be problematic (I did this at DS's nursery which couldn't always cater for vegetarians).

Otherwise, if they won't be budged, you might want to get an insulated lunch box like this so you can send her in with hot food once or twice a week.

i think nurseries are beginning to seperate out the cost of meals now adays anyway....so you should be seeing a redcution in cost

we use these

They are brilliant, we shove something hot in them early morning and it's lovely and hot at lunch,

my children use them everyday, as do we.