National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
School Asthma Education Subcommittee

How Asthma-Friendly Is Your Child-Care Setting?
Checklist

Children with asthma need proper support in child-care settings to keep their asthma under control and be fully active. Use the questions below to find out how well your child-care setting assists children with asthma:

If the answer to any question is "no," children in your child-care setting may be facing obstacles to controlling their asthma. Uncontrolled asthma can hinder a child's attendance, participation, and progress in school. Child-care staff, health professionals, and parents can work together to remove obstacles and promote children's health and development.

Contact the organizations listed for information about asthma and helpful ideas for making school policies and practices more asthma-friendly. Federal and State laws are in place to help children with asthma.

Asthma can be controlled; expect nothing less.

Resources for Parents and Child-Care Staff

National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
Telephone: (301) 592 - 8573
Internet: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov
Materials include:

• Managing Asthma: A Guide for Schools
• Asthma Awareness Curriculum for the Elementary Classroom
• Asthma and Physical Activity in the School
• Making a Difference: Asthma Management in the School (video)

Allergy and Asthma Network/ Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc.
Telephone: (800) 878 - 4403 or (703) 641 - 9595
Internet: http://www.aanma.org
Materials include:

• Breathing Easy with Child Care (booklet)
• School Information Package

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Telephone: (800) 822 - ASMA or (414) 272 - 6071
Internet: http://www.aaaai.org

American Academy of Pediatrics
Telephone: (800) 433 - 9016 or (847) 228 - 5005
Internet: http://www.aap.org
Materials include:

• Caring for Our Children: Health and Safety Guidelines for Child Care (book)

American Association for Respiratory Care
Telephone: (972) 243 - 2272
Internet: http://www.aarc.org

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
Telephone: (800) 842 - 7777 or (847) 427 - 1200
Internet: http://allergy.mcg.edu

American Lung Association
Telephone: (800) LUNG - USA
Internet: http://www.lungusa.org
Materials include:

• A is for Asthma (Sesame Street video)

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Telephone: (800) 7 - ASTHMA or (202) 466 - 7643
Internet: http://www.aafa.org
Materials include:

• Asthma and Allergy Essentials for Child Care Providers (training program)

Healthy Kids: The Key to Basics
Educational Planning for Students with Asthma and Other Chronic Health Conditions
Telephone: (617) 965 - 9637
E-mail: erg_hk@juno.com
Materials include:

• Including Children with Chronic Health Conditions: Nebulizers in the Classroom

National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
Telephone: (301) 402 - 1663
Internet: http://www.niaid.nih.gov

U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights, Customer Service Team
Telephone: (800) 421 - 3481 or (202) 205 - 5413
Internet: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Indoor Environments Division
Telephone: (202) 233 - 9370
Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse
Telephone: (800) 438 - 4318
Internet: http://www.epa.gov/iaq

Special thanks to members of and consultants to the NAEPP School Asthma Education Subcommittee, representing the following organizations, for their contributions in developing this document: Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc.; American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology; American Academy of Pediatrics; American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance; American Association for Respiratory Care; American Lung Association; American Medical Association; American Public Health Association; American School Health Association; Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Healthy Kids: The Key to Basics; National Association of Elementary School Principals; National Association of School Nurses; National Education Association Health Information Network; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; National School Boards Association, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.