AllergyHome proudly introduces our guest contributor, Grennan Sims.   Grennan is a registered dietitian and nationally recognized leader in the management of food allergy in school nutrition services. She is also the mom of a child with a food allergy. Thank you Grennan, for joining us.

Written by Grennan Sims RD, LD

“When it comes to your child’s food allergy, you can support the success of the school nutrition staff at your child’s school and create peace of mind for yourself with early and frequent communication.” 

In school kitchens across America, we read and re-read literally hundreds of food labels.  We practice and implement cross-contact prevention strategies as we prepare thousands of meals every day.  We wash hands and change gloves between every new task.  We check and recheck lists of students with food allergy.  Armed with knowledge, we battle everyday to protect the lives of the children we serve. We know you are depending on us.

But we need your help!  When it comes to your child’s food allergy, you can support the success of the school nutrition staff at your child’s school and create peace of mind for yourself with early and frequent communication.

Here are some tips to help ensure the school nutrition staff becomes your strongest allies in keeping your child with food allergy safe at school:

Inform the school nutrition department of your child’s food allergy before your child starts school.  

• There is almost always someone in the main office of the school nutrition department. Please do not wait until the first day of school to let us know about your child’s food allergy!

 

Obtain the documentation required for meal accommodations for a food allergy in your school district and have your physician sign necessary forms. 

• Forms vary district to district, but all must include the following information:  (1) Identification of the medical condition (ie. food allergy to peanuts); (2) why or how this restricts the child’s diet, including all major life activities affected by the student’s condition (ie. eating, breathing, swallowing, etc.); (3) which foods must be omitted from the diet; and, (4) which substitutions are allowed.

 

Provide written permission to the physician’s office for the school nutrition department/nurse to discuss your child’s food allergy.

• Various health privacy rules, like HIPAA, prevent the release of medical information to any unauthorized person.  If we need additional information from your doctor, he/she can’t talk to us unless you give permission. Provide written authorization at the same time you request forms to be signed by your doctor.

 

Tell the school nutrition manager what food allergy safe foods your child likes and doesn’t like to eat.

• We know that a hungry child cannot learn.  If available to us, we will make every attempt to provide foods your child likes and can safely eat while dining with us at school.

 

Obtain documentation for any changes in meal accommodations for food allergy and provide a copy to school nutrition department as soon as possible.

• Keep us updated! Until we receive written confirmation that your child has outgrown a food allergy, we will not let him or her have that food previously reported as an allergen.  Likewise, we must have new documentation on file if your child is now allergic to additional foods.  (We cannot just add it to an old form.)  I love receiving newly signed form each year! It’s good practice, even if your school does not require it.

 

Supply the school with current phone numbers to contact you with questions or in case of an emergency.

• As obvious as this may sound, you’d be surprised how many parents get new cell phones, change work numbers and so forth, in the middle of the school year and forget to update contact information with the school. Please make sure the school knows how best to contact you with questions or concerns regarding your child’s food allergy.

School nutrition professionals across the nation share the same goal you have – to keep your child safe while eating at school. Please help us accomplish this extremely important task by communicating directly with the school nutrition manager in your child’s school or with the district’s school nutrition director. Early and frequent communication strengthens our resolve to protect the lives of the children we serve in school nutrition.  Arm us with knowledge and details… and we’ll take care of your child as if he were our own.

 

 

Grennan Sims is a registered dietitian and the Nutrition Education Coordinator for the Hickman Mills C-1 School District in Kansas City, MO.  Grennan has worked in school nutrition for 18 years, developing healthy school meals and teaching children ages 3-18 years about making healthy food choices.  About 10 years ago, she was asked to speak at a Regional Head Start Program Conference about food allergies – a topic she was familiar with, but felt she lacked enough background to teach a class.  She soon immersed herself in food allergy websites, webinars and literature.  A year later, Grennan’s then 4-year-old daughter developed a severe food allergy.

Food allergy management and education quickly became Grennan’s passion!  “I’m on a mission,” she says, “a mission to protect the lives of the children we serve in school nutrition.  Not just in my district, but across the country.  I know what it’s like to worry about sending your child with a food allergy to school.  My goal is to empower school nutrition professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage food allergies in school kitchens and cafeterias.”

Grennan serves on the Food Allergy Management & Education (FAME) national advisory board, where she is honored to share her unique perspective on the management of food allergies in school nutrition.  She has presented at numerous local and state conferences and is excited to team up with Dr. Michael Pistiner and Kathleen McDarby, RN (FAME program manager) to offer a comprehensive 4-hour training workshop about food allergies at the School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference in July 2014.