Church PreSchool refusing to give enzymes!

[MOM247]

Hi there,

Well my son started a new preschool this month. (Only 2.5 hrs a day) Things seemed to be going well, until today. During drop off his teacher informed me, "We are not nurses, we can not keep giving him his pill". My face probably turned 50 shades of red. I thought this was ironed out weeks ago. Johnny's enzymes were my 1st discussion I had during the application and interview process with the school directors. I had brought them 2 copies of "CF in the classroom". Made it clear why he needs them. Supplied the doctors note. Now why in week 3 is this a problem. He only needs 1 pill for snack!! I'm not sure why today it was a problem, maybe it was too much for the 2 teachers & 16 kids. But, we have already did 2 years of public preschool. I know it's not rocket science to squirt some applesauce on a spoon and dump 1PILL. The fight was on!! I never knew I could get so angry! The directors were gone and I told the teacher I'm not leaving till you get me someone on the phone. I wasn't going to leave my son and know he wouldn't get snack So the teacher asked me to prepare the 1tbs of applesauce & sprinkle the enzymes on it for them. Then she wanted me to put it in a ziplock bag for snack 2hrs later. I informed her that's not how this medication works!! Then she asked well can your son just do it and I said No way! After this I said I really like to speak to someone else. So, she brought out the Kindergarten teacher. The Kindergarten teacher suggested I have my sons CF doc write out step by step how the teacher is to give the medication. So I sat in my car & called and had the doctors office fax the step by step instructions. I then walked in asked the church office lady to get the fax, and got copy for myself. Then I marched downstairs and handed it to the teacher. The look on her face was priceless, I'm sure she was shocked I had the paperwork that fast. (Thank You to our awesome CF TEAM)

Now here's my question if heaven forbid this fight continues do we have any legal rights. I called my state capitals, Americans With Dissabilities Office. They informed me that church preschools don't have to follow the same guidelines Any of you ever had any experience with this. Next year we will be back in public school with 504 & IEP plans.

Thanks,

Sarah

Mommy to Johnny 5 w/cf & bailey 3 no cf...sorry for the errors-typing on my iPhone

 

[Printer]

GOOGLE: State Policies in Administration of Medication in Schools.

Also call the legal department at CFF.

 

[2roses]

Amazing job advocating for your, son, Sarah! You are running down the legal issues, but outside of those, can you work with your son to learn to swallow pills? I think what the preschool is doing is horrible and ridiculous (and they are 100% wrong). I'm only considering a way to make it a little bit easier for the future and maybe less daunting for the preschool. Especially since cfers take so many pills. Not a solution but a suggestion.

 

[Jana]

I'm so sorry to hear you're having this problem. How frustrating! I teach at a Christian School myself, and we have to handle all kinds of medications for the students. It's hard to understand why it would be an issue. My impression (though obviously I'm working with limited information here) is that it's the teacher herself who is choosing to be difficult about it. If the directors of the school gave the okay, there's no reason for her to have a problem with it. It's not like it's some kind of dangerous medication she can mess up and harm your son.

Talking to another teacher (ie--the kindergarten teacher) may not have been helpful because, unless she is in some type of supervisory role, it put her in the awkward position of being in the middle of an issue which didn't involve her. And if your son's teacher had the choice of another teacher to bring to talk to you, she likely chose one who was her friend and perhaps would agree with her on this craziness.

So, my advice--talk to an administrator or director about this before taking any other steps. I seriously doubt that her bratty attitude reflects their position.

One other thought is that perhaps there is someone in the office or a place like that who could be responsible for giving the medication if the teacher is going to be difficult. Back when I first started teaching, I just took care of medication myself for any of my students who needed it. Eventually, for safety reasons, we began keeping all medication in a room where the students go to take it. All medications are checked in by the parents, and someone on our staff (not a nurse) is there at all times to monitor it and make sure everyone gets what they need. It really isn't that difficult!

I hope this can be easily resolved!

 

[mom24dodd]

my son has autism and cystic fibrosis. i qualify for respite care from the state for the autism - but cannot get the state to get a home health aide to give my son enzymes for the CF during the respite care. I am as frustated as you sound -mom247 - and printer - I did not know cff had a legal department. I am going to look into it. Good luck mom247! God Bless Moms of kids with problems!

 

[Beccamom]

My understanding is that is the school accepts any federal funds, then they are required to comply with a 504 plan. So if they accept funds, then try for a 504 plan. That is so crazy. Great advocating mom.

 

[daffy1]

Caregiver for respite care

my son has autism and cystic fibrosis. i qualify for respite care from the state for the autism - but cannot get the state to get a home health aide to give my son enzymes for the CF during the respite care. I am as frustated as you sound -mom247 - and printer - I did not know cff had a legal department. I am going to look into it. Good luck mom247! God Bless Moms of kids with problems!

Where do you live? If you are in or around the Dallas area , I would be more than happy to be your respite care. I just left a job where I was teaching/companion to a 15 year old non potty trained young man with autism. My son has cystic fibrosis , so i have experience with both.

paula

 

[Jana]

Church schools don't accept any federal funds. That's kind of the point--we don't want the government running our schools. That shouldn't have any bearing on a situation like this, though. The issue with disabilities is that most church schools are simply not equipped or staffed to deal with some of them. However, in the case of a child with cf, I can't imagine why there would be a problem. Any school should be able to make the necessary accommodations.

 

[kellyga]

My daughter has gone to a private church preschool for the last 2.5 years. They will not administer any medications, and I knew that when I put her there. When I was researching schools, I found that most would not give her medicine, only a daycare would. Mostly we have managed because their snacks are very low fat/protein, usually fruit and crackers or something like that, and the snack is near the end of the day. Within about 30 minutes of her snack she is being picked up, and that is when she gets her medicine depending on what they had to eat. Next year she is entering full day kindergarten and I am glad she is at least swallowing pills now, but I am worried about someone else giving her medicine, eeek!

If they won't do the medicine or you are worried about it being done correctly, maybe you could suggest snacks that don't require enzymes for her class?

 

[DmT145]

There is a very clear separation of church and state in the constitution. It's there to ensure we don't return to a theocracy, but it has all kinds of side effects like this and the case of the catholic church being able to refuse to pay for contraception in their employee's insurance plans. I'm afraid the only intervention you might expect in this situation is a divine one, which should be easy, given your religion.

 

[Aboveallislove]

Actually, if read the constitution there is NO "separation of church and state" IN THE CONSTITUTION. There is a clause in the First Amendment prohibitting the establishment of religion and protecting the free exercise of religion, and it wasn't to ensure enshrined in the First Amendment so that "we don't return to a theocracy," it was to protect STATES against a FEDERAL religion. There actually were State "established" religions when the First Amendment was ratified. And it ain't a side effect of the constitution that churches and individuals have religious liberty--it is a guarantee of the constitution. And one also expressly and strongly protected by RFRA. Of course none of this has anything to do with the question posed since the religious pre-school isn't claiming it violates its religious tenants to provide the medication.

 

[Jana]

Thank you! It's wise when quoting the Constitution to know what it actually says!

 

[MOM247]

Update, the schools director has wrote up new policy to cover my sons meds. Very thankful that there will not be any further disputing Thanks Everyone!

Sarah

 

[Jana]

I'm so glad to hear that, Sarah! Thanks for letting us know.

 

[Aboveallislove]

That's great Sarah!!! Great Job!

 

[travelover777]

Unfortunately in Indiana, church schools DO receive federal funds. The Indiana legislature passed a law that allows for a voucher system. This voucher will allow any child to attend any school of their choice. The money that would have been put into the public school system now follows the child. Therefore, if the school is in Indiana, the school MUST deal with such issues.

 

[Aboveallislove]

If the Indiana legislature passed a law for vouchers, that would be a state law and state funds. And even the federal law allows for schools to decline federal funding, so a school could decline if it wanted to. In the end, though, most private and religious schools would try to accommodate, which is why open communications and so important. Much better than getting the liars . . . I mean lawyers involved anyway. Sometimes it just takes talking with someone higher up, which resolved it here for the best.

 

[zaj1139]

Wow this is awful! My Grandson has started Pre-K here in GA which is state funded. They not only give him his exzymes but actually taught him to hold the straw himself. You see, Jaden never liked apple sauce so we take the pill apart and hold the straw and spill 2 pills content in it and then he sips it up with the juice. He is 4 and has no interest yet in swallowing on his own as this seems to work for everyone. There was a time or two that he would swallow but then he would get stubborn about it. Seems pretty rude to me that a Church School would be so unwilling to be helpful!