Asthma – school and child care
Asthma – school and child care
Responsibilities of parents
If your child or a child in your care has
asthma
, you should let the staff at the childcare centre, preschool or school know.
You also need to give the school or childcare centre a copy of your child’s
asthma action plan
. Your doctor must write your child’s asthma action plan.
At the start of every year, you must:
Tell your child’s school or childcare centre about your child’s asthma.
Give them an asthma action plan for your child (written by your doctor).
Update your child’s asthma action plan.
Make sure the school has
asthma medicine
.
Make sure the school has a spacer, if needed.
Give them your emergency contact details and contact details for your doctor.
Keep in touch with the school and tell them if your child’s health needs change.
On a school camp or excursion, your child needs to have enough medicine with them to last the whole time.
In an emergency, staff may give your child medicine without telling you first. They should call you as soon as they can and call an ambulance if needed.
Responsibilities of childcare centres and preschools
Services that care for or educate children must have steps in place to keep your child safe.
They must, at all times, have at least one staff member on site with current and approved:
first aid qualification
anaphylaxis training
emergency asthma management training.
For more information about first aid, anaphylaxis and asthma management in childcare see the
Department of Education and Training
website
External Link
.
Responsibilities of schools
Schools must have:
a school management plan for asthma
an asthma care plan and student health support plan for each child with asthma
training for staff in first aid and management of asthma
at least 2 school asthma first aid kits
asthma care plans to cover school camps and excursions
policies in place to support students with exercise-induced asthma.
Schools should tell parents about:
any health and education issues
how often a child is having asthma symptoms at school
how bad the asthma is at school
the use of medication at school.
Learn more about the
Victorian Government’s asthma policy, guidance and
resources
External Link
and
Asthma Australia’s advice on asthma in
schools
External Link
.
Where to get help
In an emergency, always call triple zero (000)
Emergency department of your nearest hospital
Your
GP (doctor)
NURSE-ON-CALL
External Link
Tel.
1300 60 60 24
– for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days)
National Home Doctor
Service
External Link
– for after-hours home doctor visits (bulk billed) Tel. 13 SICK (
13 7425
)
Asthma Australia
External Link
Tel. 1800 ASTHMA (
1800 278 462
)
National Asthma Council
Australia
External Link
Allergy and Anaphylaxis
Australia
External Link
Tel.
1300 728 000
The Royal Children’s Hospital
Melbourne
External Link
– videos to help you better understand and manage your child’s asthma
Phn North Western Melbourne – Childhood asthma support for
parents
External Link
Cohealth – Improving childhood asthma
management
External Link