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Nursery excludes boy after finding out he has food allergies
A two-year-old boy has been excluded from a nursery before he started after his mum told staff he is allergic to sesame and milk.
Atlas was due to start at the nursery in January and his place was booked and paid for. But when mum Lily Boulle sent in his paperwork she was told his offer had been rescinded because staff were not trained to use Epipens.
Lily said, "When we went to look round, they said they had a red plate system where children with allergies would have their food on a special plate and would have someone sit with them."
"But after I sent over his paperwork I got a phone call to say they couldn't take him as he had an Epipen."
Lily went on to say the nursery said Atlas could still have a place if she signed a waiver to say it was ok for staff not to administer his medication if he needed it. The mum said staff asked if the two year old could administer the auto-injector himself during an allergy attack.
Atlas's allergies have been known to the family since he was eight months old, when eating cucumber and hummus caused his face to swell and his breathing to become difficult, prompting the family to call an ambulance.
Lily said "For a parent of a child with an allergy, the thought of leaving them each day is terrifying,"
"I don't think parents, or anyone really, who hasn't lived with allergies, has the understanding of how serious it is."
she went onto say she immediately knew she needed to find somewhere else for her son's childcare.
"If staff don't have training for Epipens, what else don't they have training for and more worryingly how many people have signed that waiver,"
"People shouldn't be given that option, it's awful."
Statement from The Wantage Nursery and Pre-School's deputy manager
The Wantage Nursery and Pre-School's deputy manager, who asked not to be named, said, "We can't comment on anything to do with the children or their parents."
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Statement from Allergy UK's chief executive
Allergy UK's chief executive Carla Jones said, "It's always upsetting to hear that families who live with allergies are encountering challenges like this."
"This situation sadly highlights the gaps we know exist in the understanding of allergy and the regulations and guidelines around keeping children with allergies safe in early years and schools settings. This presents a problem for both the child, their families and the settings."
"It is why in our Patient Charter, we are calling for there to be mandatory allergy training for educators and for people to better understand allergy and take it more seriously."
"Allergy UK has a number of resources on its website, available for free to nurseries and families, on best practice to help to fill this gap."