Asthma Friendly Childcare Services Program
Given that asthma affects 1 in 10 children and many young children attend childcare services such as child care centres, OSHC, occasional care and family day care, the Asthma Foundation of South Australia has created the Asthma Friendly Childcare Services Program.
Since commencing the program in 2004 the Asthma Foundation of South Australia has provided training, resources and asthma first aid kits to over 700 children’s services.
Asthma & Anaphylaxis Training for Childcare Staff
New National Education and Care Services Regulations
The new National Education and Care Services Regulations implemented January 2012 require staff in childcare services to undertake training in Emergency Asthma Management, and training in Anaphylaxis Management. The regulations state that “The following persons must be in attendance and immediately available in an emergency:
· At least one educator who holds a current approved first aid qualification
· At least one educator who has undertaken current approved anaphylaxis training
· At least one educator who has undertaken current approved emergency asthma management training”
Asthma Training
The Asthma Foundation SA offers the following Asthma training options:
1. Emergency Asthma Management Course (3 hours)
EAM (21886VIC) is a nationally accredited, competency based training approved under the new national regulations. Completion of this course enables your service to meet the emergency asthma management qualification requirement under the new regulations. Course qualification is valid for 3 years. The course provides key staff with essential knowledge and skills to effectively manage asthma in a childcare setting, and the ability to recognise and respond to an asthma emergency.
Cost: $60 per person (or $600 per site)
2. Asthma First Aid (1-hour)
This training has been delivered in childcare services for over decade, and continues to provide all staff with key information to support asthma management on a daily basis. The Asthma Foundation SA recommends that the majority of staff from your service complete this training to gain a basic understanding of asthma and how to perform asthma first aid. On completion of this training, the Asthma Foundation will support your service to achieve Asthma Friendly status through provision of resources and a FREE Asthma Emergency Kit.
Cost: $20 per person (or $150 per site)
Anaphylaxis Training
The Asthma Foundation SA offers the following Anaphylaxis training:
1. Course in Anaphylaxis Awareness (3 hours)
This Course in Anaphylaxis Awareness (21827VIC) is a nationally accredited, competency based training approved under the new national regulations. Completion of this course enables your service to meet the Anaphylaxis qualification requirement under the new regulations. Course qualification is valid for 3 years. This course provides participants with the necessary knowledge and practical skills to recognise, treat and manage a severe life-threatening allergic reaction – anaphylaxis.
Cost: $60 per person (or $600 per site)
Asthma Friendly Recognition
Through the Program, childcare are encouraged to integrate the management and awareness of asthma into the daily life of their service. This is achieved by a number of measures outlined in the Asthma Friendly criteria checklist. The Asthma Friendly Childcare Declaration Form which provides the criteria to be recognized can be found as a link below. Once a service is recognized they are provided with a certificate and ‘Asthma Friendly’ window sticker for their efforts.
There is also a link below to the Asthma Friendly Guidelines which further outline ways to achieve the criteria in a variety of settings.
It is a recommendation, of the Asthma Foundation, that childcare services are provided with an Asthma Action/Care Plan signed by a General Practitioner to be able to administer reliever medication to a child in care. This important documentation provides support to both staff and the child.
Asthma Friendly Childcare Declaration Form
Asthma Friendly Guidelines
Asthma Friendly Policy
Asthma Emergency Kits
To obtain reliever medication for Asthma Emergency Kits please call the Asthma Foundation of SA on 8238 9300. Your service will need to provide evidence that staff are up-to-date with and have attended a 1 hour asthma training session provided by an authorised trainer for the Asthma Foundation of SA (this includes BELS First Aid courses). Your service will be issued with an ‘Authority to Purchase’ card that will enable you to purchase the reliever medication at your local pharmacy.
Use the following link to access the form to order Asthma Emergency Kits:
Asthma Emergency Kit Order Form
The processes in SA services for health support are generally guided by the Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) policy. These links access critical documents for health care and asthma.
DECS Health Support Planning Document
DECS Asthma Care Plan
Further information is available through the Child Health and Education Support Services (CHESS) website http://www.chess.sa.edu.au
If you would like your childcare service to join the Asthma Friendly Childcare Services Program, please contact your services Director/Manager or the Asthma Foundation of SA on 8238 9300 or email Kelly.