Summer may be far away, but it's in the winter when many parents start thinking about summer camp for their children.
Life with food allergies presents many challenges, one of the scariest being day or over night camp. Camp, unlike school, often provides more free and less supervised and structured time. Teachers are replaced with camp counselors that are often high school or college students. Many parents avoid the camp experience all together. However others feel it necessary to let their food allergic children live their lives as normally as possible.
If you are considering summer day or overnight camp for your food allergic child, following are some things to think about:
What is the child to staff ratio?
Is there an EpiPen trained nurse on the grounds?
Will all staff be EpiPen trained?
Who will carry your child's EpiPen when or if he can't?
Where is the nearest hospital and what is the emergency response time?
What foods are served and how are they prepared?
This list is just a starting point. If you are nervous about the prospect of summer camp for your food allergic child, you might want to consider doing further research to find a food allergy friendly camp.
If you live in the Massachusetts or New England area, you might want to consider attending the Regional Forum and Panel Discussion on Summer Camps for Children with Food Allergies presented by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America New England Chapter.
Details as follows:
Tuesday, Feb 9, 2010 at 7pm
Newton -Wellesley Hospital
2014 Washington St., Newton
1/4 mile from Rt. 95/128
(Exit 21/21A - Rt. 16 East toward Newton)
Bowles Conference Area - Second Floor
____________________________________________________________
Ruth Smith is the mother of a child with multiple life threatening food allergies
and founder of Best Allergy Sites: a food allergy directory and resource guide.
