Asthma Information For Schools and Child Care Facilities
Schools and child care facilities should be safe and healthy environments for all children. They can encourage and promote asthma friendly lifestyle choices. They should also work towards being free from all known possible asthma triggers, as asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism.
What You Should Do
Make asthma a priority for everyone
- Assemble an asthma control team. Include everyone from administration, teachers, nurses, coaches and other staff members to students, families and doctors.
- Create a comprehensive asthma management program. Start with The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute’s How Asthma-friendly is your school? How Asthma-friendly is your child care setting?
- Provide staff training on asthma. Make sure that all staff members recognize attack warning signs and know the policies and procedures for administering medications and emergency response.
- Recognize achievement. Present awards to staff for their efforts to address asthma. Involve school and outside officials and the media.
Facilitate family access to resources
- Create a dialogue and provide information about asthma management.
- Hold an onsite flu clinic every year.
Have an updated written asthma action plan for each child
Know the legal requirements
Provide and protect good air quality
Provide opportunities for safe and enjoyable physical activity.
- Encourage full participation when well and modify as medically necessary.
- Keep all medications nearby and accessible before, during and after exercise.
- Exercise indoors on Air Quality Alert Days.
Be sure that students understand asthma
Ensure tobacco-free facilities and events
- Post no smoking signs.
- Offer tobacco cessation programs to students, family and staff.
Rhode Island Department of Health