Early Childhood Center

"This was a great preschool for my son in many ways but one, which was traumatic. He had a life-threatening peanut allergy and, while the staff members were caring, they were unable to believe the severity of his allergy or simply thought I was lying or overreacting? There was peanut butter in every classroom but my son’s. Keep in mind, this was 23 years ago at the dawn of understanding about severe allergies to food. I had educated them many times over and had a written Allergy Action Plan, read ingredients in the kitchen every day, educated them about cross-contamination, and yet, when he had a severe reaction, they took no action. They didn't call me, 9-1-1, or give him an Epi-pen – all steps in his Allergy Action Plan. So, when I arrived at the usual time for pick up, his face was red, nearly twice its size and he had a severe rash around his mouth. They pretended it was not a big deal, I think for his sake, but it was still severe negligence. I was told then that they felt that peanut butter was a comfort food for the kids, so they opted to keep it, not understanding that the larger message was that peanut butter was worth more than a child's life. My son and I also faced bullying by one parent and the kitchen staff. It’s been more than 20 years, so I have to assume that JDN takes care of its food-allergic kids now. But I still think about it. If your child has allergies, however, please be careful and be informed before sending your child to this preschool."