Preparing to Send Your Child to School with Food Allergies

Preparing to Send Your Child to School with Food Allergies

These are a few suggestion in how to prepare yourself, you child, and your child’s school for addressing their food allergy needs during the school day. Your child’s health and safety is important to us!

Request a meeting: Contact your child’s school and request a meeting with your child’s principal, school nurse, and teacher if possible. This meeting will be a time when you can explain your child’s allergy and discuss what their needs will be for the school year.

Be prepared. You are your child’s best advocate. Please be ready to discuss the following with the school team:

-Brief history of previous allergic reactions that your child has had

-What foods does your child need to avoid

-Ask about classroom food policies such as snack times or holiday celebrations.

-Will they be eating hot lunch or cold lunch?

-Does your child participate in extracurricular or after school activities?

-Where should your child’s Epinephrine auto-injector be stored? How many auto-injectors will you be providing to the school?

Whatpaperwork will your child need? Once the potential needs of your child are identified, the school nurse will help complete the appropriate paperwork. Here is a list of some of the forms you may see:

-Individualized Health Care Plan: This is a plan that identifies what your child’s daily needs are to address any potential concerns and keep them safe in school. This form should be filled out by the school nurse.

-Emergency Care Plan or Allergy Action Plan: This is a quick reference with a step by step procedure for staff to follow to address anaphylaxis. You can bring a form from your child’s medical provider or the school nurse can help you fill one out.

-Medication orders: Your school will need orders from your child’s medical provider for any medication that they will have at school.

-Diet Order Form: If your child will need accommodations made to their school lunch you will need to complete this form with your child’s medical provider. It can be found at

-A 504 Plan may be discussed as an option for your child. “A 504 Plan (named for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) is a plan that outlines the accommodations, aids or services that a student with a disability needs in order to use, and fully participate in, a free and appropriate public education.” (FARE Food Allergy Filed Guide, 2014)

If you would like further information we recommend visiting the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis website at or contact a GFPS School Nurse at 406-268-7700.