Your child will eventually begin to attend school. Many children participate in care programs before school starts in the morning and after school closes for the day. Every school system is different. For some, before and after school programs are run by the school. For others, an outside organization or company comes into the school to run the programs. In some cases, a school will bring in multiple outside organizations or companies to offer different types of programming like arts, sports, or homework help. Some schools may have those organizations pick up kids from the school to bring them to a different location for programming. As a parent or caregiver of a child with a blood or bleeding disorder, you may have additional questions or concerns about those programs.
Here are some tips to help:
Do some research on any programs that are available to your child. Ask to speak to the program director to better understand what health related paperwork is required and what activities kids will participate in. Ask how they handle both typical medical issues and more severe medical emergencies for kids with health conditions.
If you want more information about questions to ask, please go to the Out of Home Child Care/Day Care section.
You can also discuss your child’s specific health needs and protocols with the program staff. Ask if they are allowed to follow these protocols or discuss other solutions. Some programs may have specific policies around giving medications or treatment on site.
If you do feel comfortable with the program, you may need to help educate the staff about your child’s bleeding disorder. You will also want to communicate to the program staff what is private information about your child’s health, what your child wants to share with their peers directly, and what is okay to discuss with others.
If you want more information about tools for talking with program staff about bleeding disorders, please go to Engaging School Faculty and Staff.