Leadership Matters - June 2013

Food allergy management toolkit available

The Food Allergy Management and Education (FAME) Manual/Toolkit for schools is ready to pilot, and Illinois school districts are invited to participate at no charge. To enroll in the pilot, please complete a confidential, 15-minute online survey, after which you can download the FAME Manual/Toolkit. The food allergy program began in 2008 at St. Louis Children’s Hospital thanks to a donor who saw the need first-hand for a comprehensive school- based food allergy program. A FAME advisory board was formed that included leading allergists, food allergy consumer organizations, registered dieticians, school nurses and parents of children with food allergy. The manual/toolkit that was developed had four objectives: 1. Describing life-threatening food allergy reactions, including common causes. 2. Listing steps that can be taken to increase the safety of the school environment by avoiding food allergens. 3. Knowing how to recognize and respond to an allergic reaction that could progress to an anaphylactic reaction. 4. Developing policies and procedures to maintain a safe school environment for children with a Life Threatening Food Allergy (LTFA). The materials are divided into role-specific sections for school principals, school nurses, teachers, transportation staff, school nutrition staff and others, and includes emergency protocols. The pilot is designed to determine the effectiveness and usefulness of the FAME Manual/Toolkit as a

resource for schools. The manual/toolkit also includes forms and information for schools to give to students and families. The initial enrollment for the pilot program is open now and continues through August. A follow-up 15- minute survey is scheduled for November. For additional information, please email FAME@bjc.org .

ISDLAF+ May 2013 Monthly Update

Click here to view the May 2013 ISDLAF+ rates, economic indicators and general economic news brief. To obtain additional information regarding this IASA sponsored service, contact Emmert Dannenberg, statewide marketing director/ ISDLAF+ at 815.592.6948. To check daily rates, visit the ISDLAF+ website at www.isdlafplus.com .

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