I am willing to care for a child who has asthma and have put together the following policy and procedures. I recognise that asthma is an important condition that affects many children.

I will:

• encourage and help children with asthma to participate fully in activities

• ensure children have immediate access to reliever inhalers

• ensure the environment is favourable to children with asthma

• ensure that other children in my care understand that asthma can be serious

• ensure that I know what to do if a child has an asthma attack to protect

the child’s welfare in the event of an emergency

• work with parents of children with asthma to ensure that their children are in a safe and

caring environment

I will ask parents to tell me about their child’s asthma symptoms, how to recognise when

their symptoms are getting worse and how to help them take their reliever medicine

I will record this information on the child’s personal record form.

• Allow children with asthma immediate access to their reliever medicine whenever

they need it. This may include allowing them to carry it on them either in their pocket

or inhaler pouch, if they are mature enough to do this. I would request that I am also given an inhaler to keep at my house, in case the child forgets to bring it back with them.

Please let me know if your child needs to be reminded to take their inhaler and if they need to do it privately (I appreciate that some children are shy about taking their medication in front of others)

I will always inform parents if their child has experienced asthma symptoms and had to

use their reliever medicine.

If, after discussion between the parents/carers and the doctor or nurse, it is believed that

a particular child is too young to carry their inhaler, I will keep it with me.

I need parents to provide written information detailing;

• what asthma medicines the child takes and when

• what triggers the child’s asthma and what to do if the child’s asthma gets worse

• emergency contact details

I will ensure any spare medicines stored by me are labelled and have not passed

their expiry date and will expect the parents to know this information also and supply new medicine.