to be very annoyed with dd's pre-school??

[LaDiDaDi]

Dd (4) is allergic to lentils, peas, soya bean and peanut. Pre-school know all of this, in fact I reminded her key worker of it just in the past month when she went for her allergy clinic appt. Today I get a call from them to say that it would appear that she has developed an allergic reaction to the lentils that they had out on the art table! Well what a surprise NOT .

I have been and dd is ok, I've given her antihistamine etc but she is clearly upset and has hives on her face. I know that it could have been much worse etc but still not happy at all. Dd does know about her allergies but I suppose that she knows not to eat any of the allergens, I think that lentils on the table at pre-school was a bit too out of context for her, so I know I need to talk to her too but still at pre-school.

Did you explain to the key worker/other staff that your DD was allergic to them even if she touched them and didn't eat them?

YANBU to be angry and worried about your child, but maybe they didn't understand you when you said about the allergies? I'm not sure. TBH, if I were you I'd be angry too.

Glad your DD is okay now.

I can understand why you're annoyed, I would be too.

Did you specifically say to pre-school that she couldn't evne touch these foods? I haven't got an allergic child, so I'm not sure it would have occurred to me that it would be a problem to handle them. I think you're going to have to speak to them again (if you haven't already) and make sure all of the staff (not just the ones on duty today) know this is a problem for your dd.

I hope she's feeling better again very soon.

Oh yes, because I'd even explained it in terms of this scenario (putting out lentils, dry pasta etc for sticking and glittering). Which makes me even more cross.

I think you are right to be very annoyed. Yes you have spoken to your DD, but she is only a pre schooler. She is too young to take responsibility for that herself.

YANBU the nursery is out of order. I have worked in them for years tho and mistakes like this happened often. People didn't read messages, or pass them on, or remember them.
One colleague who had been there 8 months applied a similar rule to the wrong child - she could not tell them apart! (And they were not very similar or twins or even related and had quite different names, but SHE DID NOT KNOW WHICH WAS WHICH. Same staff member fed the wrong food to babies quite often, always followed by furious denials, blaming a student if one was in the building,or anyone else handy.
I think they deserve a rocket myself, but make sure it goes to the correct person.

Why would they put milk powder in play dough?
(I make a cornflour based one for a child with a wheat allergy.)
And a bucket for discarded milk? What was going on?

I'd be furious. A relative has a child with a severe nut allergy. She was (rightly, imho) concerned at the level of care offered at the only school available and kicked up a fuss. Eventually, after much denial by the school and LA, she was offered an appointment to meet the nurse and got detailed information on who was trained to administer her DDs epi-pen, what they offered wrt food etc and a risk assessment.

I'd suggest that you obtain a meeting with the most senior staff member and key worker, put in writing your complaint (cc to the LA if a state pre-school), and ask for a nurse to be present too. Get their assurances in writing - it may not make your DD safer in itself but it would surely make them sit up and think of the legal consequences you could hurl at them if they were to breach their assurances.

In schools there is usually a policy of having a photo of the allergic child in staff areas, with details of her allergy. Ask if this is the case with yours and if not, request that they do so. And also, ask for a written copy of their policy on allergy management. If they haven't one, put in writing that you wish them to create one and push for it.

You have every right to be angry and concerned. Channelling that anger to improve the situation and prevent this from ever happening again will be well worth it.