A small but important change was made to government childcare guidance this week.
On 7 October 2026, the Department for Education updated its school-age childcare guidance to include additional information about allergy safety within its food and nutrition section.
Why Does This Matter?
For families managing food allergies, childcare outside the normal school day can raise important questions.
Who knows about the allergy?
Where is medication kept?
What happens if food is served?
And does information held by the school automatically reach an external breakfast, after-school or holiday provider?
The answer to that last question is not always.
What Should Parents Do?
If your child has an allergy, make sure the childcare provider has accurate and current information.
That may include what your child is allergic to, what symptoms staff need to recognise and any medication or emergency arrangements.
It’s also reasonable to ask how snacks and food are managed.
A Useful Question to Ask
Parents should feel comfortable asking:
“How do you manage allergy information and make sure the staff looking after my child know what they need to know?”
A good provider should be able to explain the process clearly.
The latest guidance is a useful reminder that communication between families, schools and childcare providers matters just as much as the paperwork itself.
Official source
Department for Education — School-age childcare guidance for schools, updated 7 October 2026
Department for Education — Allergy safety in schools
Department for Education — School food standards: allergy guide
