Resources
Schools & DaycareNavigating School and Daycare with a Gluten Free Diet
Starting with School & Day Care
If you have a child with celiac disease who is just about to enter day care or school, or you have a school-aged child who was just diagnosed with celiac disease, you may be worried about dealing with school. It can be difficult for a parent who’s had control over every aspect of their child’s gluten-free lifestyle, to hand them over to a school or day care that may not know a lot about celiac disease.
Here are some areas in which you should be alert when it comes to school and day care:
- Lunch and snacks
- Arts and crafts
- Birthday parties
- Field trips
- General knowledge of celiac and the gluten-free diet by the teacher and cook who’s working directly with your child.
- Handling of any accidental consumption or gluten reaction
There are many ways to deal with this, which could include a 504 Plan which would target all of these areas, or you could just start with meeting with your principal, teacher, and district nutritionist and see where that takes you.
Either way, you should know your rights, what’s acceptable to request, and what schools are obligated to do. You can find this information in Requesting a 504 Plan. This section aims to educate you the parent in this area so you can assist in getting any special accommodations that are necessary for your child.
What is a 504 Plan?
In order to get accommodations at a school or day care, many parents find doing a “504 Plan” helpful. At its most basic, it is a document that parents and your child’s educators collaborate on and use to guide them as they accommodate your child’s special needs. A medically-required, gluten-free diet fits in with these needs.
Requesting a 504 Plan for a Child with Celiac Disease
Many parents within our Twin Cities ROCK group have been through the 504 Plan process in our local Minnesota schools. The 504 Plan is assembled to ensure a safe, gluten-free environment for our children with celiac disease. To find out more about the definition of a 504 Plan click here.
How to initiate the 504 Plan for your child in your school district
