Asthma Friendly Children's Services
The Asthma Friendly™ Children's Services Program has been developed by The Asthma Foundation of Victoria to provide a safer environment for children in kindergarten, childcare, family day care and out of school hours care.
The Program also gives staff the confidence and skills to care for a child with asthma, and gives parents peace of mind.
How to be an Asthma Friendly Children’s Service
1. The first step is to contact the Asthma Foundation of Victoria and REQUEST an Accreditation Kit of information and resources to be sent to your service to guide the achievement of the essential criteria required to become an Asthma Friendly Children’s Service.
2. Achieve RECOGNITION as an Asthma Friendly Children’s Service by meeting the essential criteria.
3. Undertake RENEWAL of RECOGNITION every three years to maintain Recognition as an Asthma Children’s Service.
Children’s Services will receive an Asthma Friendly Recognition certificate and window sticker to promote their Asthma Friendly status.
The criteria for becoming an Asthma Friendly™ Children’s Service
To be recognised as an Asthma Friendly™ Children’s Service, kindergartens, childcare centres, family day care schemes and out of school hours care programs must address and fulfill following essential criteria.
The Essential Criteria
1. Develop and implement an appropriate asthma management policy for children's services.
2. At least one staff member who has completed accredited Emergency Asthma Management Training.
3. A minimum of one Asthma Emergency Kit is available for emergency use
4. Asthma Action Plans for each child enrolled with asthma are actively encouraged and kept in a central location and Asthma First Aid incidents are recorded, reviewed and reported to the child’s parents/carers
5. Asthma information is displayed in suitable locations around the service, included in the early childhood program and made available for parents/carers.
Recommended Criteria
1. There is communication with parents/carers when a child experiences asthma symptoms, uses their asthma medication or if the child has an asthma incident at the service.
2. Children are encouraged to learn to identify their asthma symptoms and triggers and seek assistance with medication.
3. Safe medication practices are in place including access to and storage of medication.
4. Measures to minimise the impact of known and potential asthma triggers have been taken.
Optional Criteria
Children’s Services Membership
The Asthma Foundation of Victoria has an exclusive Children’s Services Membership package to offer children's services for an annual fee of $55.00.
Membership benefits:
· A Free Asthma Emergency Kits containing: bumbag, spacer, face mask, alcohol swabs and asthma first aid card (Reliever medication must be purchased from pharmacy)
· Quarterly newsletters from The Asthma Foundation of Victoria
· Two Asthma Update magazines per year (national magazine)
· 10% discount on purchase of selected asthma products and resources from The Asthma Foundation of Victoria.
Once the essential Asthma First Aid training has been undertaken and the service’s Director/licensee is confident that the essential criteria listed above have been met, please download a copy of the
Recognition Checklist (PDF, 758kb) and return the form to the Asthma Foundation of Victoria.
For Further Information
If you would like further information about the Asthma Friendly Children's Service Program, please contact the Asthma Foundation of Victoria on the numbers below or use our online contact form:
Ph: (03) 9326 7088
Toll Free: 1800 645 130
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