On any given Sunday there are a number of small children in Cherrydale’s nursery with a variety of life-threatening food allergies. In order to prevent accidental exposures and ensure the safety of our children, the following will be implemented.

No Outside Food

  • Outside food will not be permitted in the nursery’s one-, two- or three-year old rooms because any time a child has access to a food he’s allergic to, we run the risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction.
  • The one exception to this policy is the infant room. Due to the limited mobility of children in this room, accidental exposures are highly unlikely. However, no child will be allowed to feed themselves; volunteers will feed the children any outside food that parents provide.
  • Cherrydale will provide Kix cereal and Dixie cups of water in the classrooms.
  • We understand that there can be circumstances where a child needs to be fed more than the snack we provide. To accommodate those instances, the room located in the rear of the 3 year old room (by the exit stairwell) has been authorized for outside food use. When a child needs to be fed outside food, one volunteer will take the child to this room and feed them. Parents may also use this room to feed their own children.

Epipen Drop-Off

When a child has a life-threatening food allergy and has been prescribed an Epipen, we request that parents drop off the Epipen in the hanging Epipen basket (outside of the classroom) EVERY time they drop off their child.

In Case of an Allergic Reaction

  • For any severe symptoms, call 911. Supervisor will administer Epipen. If the Supervisor is not immediately available, whoever is most comfortable will administer the Epipen. Any person can legally administer an Epipen and is protected under Virginia’s Good Samaritan Act.
  • For a mild allergic reaction, immediately call a Supervisor.
  • For an allergic reaction: Supervisor will page parents. Supervisor will complete and ask parents to sign an Incident Report.