Peanut Allergy Management- Day camp

[pugmomrn]

Hello-

Not a camp nurse, but a school who helps lead GS Day camp.

We have a Brownie coming in this year with a severe peanut allergy. Our campers bring their own lunches each day; the camp provides milk (or juice box for milk-allergic) and a frozen treat. The girls stay within their groups, and the groups travel to different program stations- swimming, crafts, outdoor skills, nature, lacing, etc.

How do other camps manage peanut allergies? Should we just send out a letter to the families in her unit? How far should we go to alert other campers? We are going to emphasize to our teen counselors the importance of handwashing after lunch- how do we prevent the spread of peanut contaminents otherwise? Camp just seems to be so much of a different issue than a nice, contained school environment!!

[BonnieSc]

Not really so different! Is the girl's school peanut-free, or just her classroom? That will be your best guideline. If the school is peanut-free, you may want to consider making day camp peanut-free--even if the school isn't peanut-free on her behalf. If she regularly goes to a school where other students are eating peanuts, it seems safe enough for camp too. If her school is peanut-free, even if it's not "because" of her, you're moving into uncharted territory.

Are lunches or lunch items ever consumed outside of the regular lunchtime? I'm guessing no--so a good handwashing after lunch should be protective enough as far as the different activities go (to avoid the situation of a girl in another group with peanut butter on her hands using the bow and arrow before the allergic girl, etc).

I have only done resident camp, and we routinely call "peanut free week" if we have a camper come in with a severe allergy. We just have too much mixing up of groups, especially in the dining hall.

[pugmomrn]

Thanks- we were planning on sending out a note ahead of time to the families in her unit; maybe a general note on the unit leader clipboards around camp emphasizing handwashing, no snacks elsewhere...Ugh. Then there's the bus!...:grn:Well, thanks for your support!