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Snack & Food Allergy Policy
Herndon United Methodist Church strives to be a nut free building. All snacks must be free of nuts and nut products. Please read ingredient labels carefully and avoid peanuts, tree nuts, peanut butter, nut oils, and nut traces. A food that does not contain nuts in its ingredients may be processed in a plant that processes foods that do contain nuts, which causes cross-contamination. Cross-contaminated foods are inappropriate for persons with nut allergies. For children with food allergies, strict avoidance is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction. Because of the potentially life-threatening situations that can occur when a child with a nut allergy comes in to contact with nut products, it is our policy to not serve a snack that lists any nut as an ingredient or that states it is processed in a plant that processes any nut products. If your child brings in a snack labeled as such, we will have to send that snack back home with your child and an alternative snack will be served. Label reading can save lives. As food allergies become more common, we must do all we can to provide our students with a safe learning environment. With your help, we will achieve this goal.
At Herndon United Methodist Church Preschool, any child with a food allergy that necessitates having an EpiPen must bring his or her own snack to school. Even though all parents are asked to provide snacks that are free of nuts, we cannot be positive that they will always be safe foods. If desired, parents can provide two kinds of snacks for their allergic child, one for regular snacks days and another snack for special days, such as birthdays or holidays. These snacks can be sent in daily or provided in advance and kept in the child’s classroom. In addition, the classroom teachers will do special food related activities periodically. For an allergic child to eat or touch these foods, the child’s parent must be present and must provide the allergy free ingredients for their child. The classroom teacher will make every effort to exclude a food that any child in her class is allergic to when planning cooking or other classroom activities. We feel this policy is the best way we can protect the children of our Preschool. A list of students with allergies will be posted in each classroom to avoid potential exposure by visitors to the classroom. If you do not want your child’s information posted, please notify the office in writing.