Quote from: rainbow on February 16, 2012, 01:26:31 PM

Yes my school staff also seemed very relieved when I said he wouldn't be buying lunch except for on pizza days. I met with Food Services Director to arrange for him to note his allergies on his account, and allow for purchase of pizza and  ice pops only. First question he asked was, "Does your child have a 504 Plan?"  Because you need one for Food Services to make accomodations for safe food, outlined clearly in USDA regulations.

Do you think all schools follow this? I have a friend without a 504 for pn allergy and the cafeteria has a "flag" on her account alerting them of her allergy. Would this not be the same as an accommodation?

Well, ironically (or not), our school outsources food services. So, it is the outside company that is more versed on accomodations requiring a 504 Plan (though I think they'd take precautions with an IHCP as well).  But the 504 makes it clear cut - he told me that is how they are trained - that they MUST make accomodations when the allergy is life threatening, and LTFA is covered under 504.

Wow.  I am speechless.

Yes my school staff also seemed very relieved when I said he wouldn't be buying lunch except for on pizza days. I met with Food Services Director to arrange for him to note his allergies on his account, and allow for purchase of pizza and  ice pops only. First question he asked was, "Does your child have a 504 Plan?"  Because you need one for Food Services to make accomodations for safe food, outlined clearly in USDA regulations.

Do you think all schools follow this? I have a friend without a 504 for pn allergy and the cafeteria has a "flag" on her account alerting them of her allergy. Would this not be the same as an accommodation?

Yes my school staff also seemed very relieved when I said he wouldn't be buying lunch except for on pizza days. I met with Food Services Director to arrange for him to note his allergies on his account, and allow for purchase of pizza and  ice pops only. First question he asked was, "Does your child have a 504 Plan?"  Because you need one for Food Services to make accomodations for safe food, outlined clearly in USDA regulations.

Agreed-- we had to do a lot of paperwork so that we could provide DD's food when our daycare provider used the USDA program.

This even after it was abundantly clear that there was literally no way that they could safely feed her (soy/wheat/peanut/treenut/milk/egg allergies).

Unbelievable!  As if chicken nuggets are healthy?   Umm, processed food and FAT anyone?

This girl had a pretty healthy lunch!

They need to be real careful about allergies.  Are they going to replace w/ peanut butter sandwiches for protein too?

Is this a low income, free daycare gvt funded situation?

I was sick a few months ago and DH was in charge of lunches and snacks.  For some odd reason, he decided to pack Hershey bars for snack - not exactly healthy (in DH's defense, he peddles chocolate to DS1 as a food high in fat because of his weight issues).

Snack time rolls around and both boys had their chocolate bars taken away and replaced with raisins (that I had provided previously on the off chance they forgot their snacks).  Both teachers assumed that the boys either packed their own snack and I got notes home explaining the issue.  Fine, they replaced food with food that I had previously approved.

I don't have a problem with a note coming home explaining what they think is missing from my child's lunch to give me a chance to have an open discussion with them.  DS1 doesn't eat "grains" at school per se because his bread is rather sensitive to temperatures because of molding and textures.  He eats bread at home.  I know there are other options out there for him but obviously limited by allergies.  But I would like the oppurtunity to discuss that without the school lunch being forced on him.

The irony - we can force a "healthy" lunch on your child but will do nothing to stop the cupcakes, candy and other extraneous foods being shoved in their face.