BOSTON, Oct. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Boston Children's Museum recently launched a Food Allergy Awareness program to promote behaviors that will increase the safety of children and adults who visit. The program seeks to make the Museum a safe place for those with food allergies, and to raise the awareness of how food allergies can be a severe and life-threatening possibility for many children.
Components of the program included training for Museum staff on allergy awareness and risk reduction best practices; new Museum signage in the Museum's designated public eating areas that promotes allergy awareness and risk reduction practices; and a webpage that provides guidance for visitors when eating in the Museum.
"One in 13 children and one in 10 adults have food allergies, and some of them are very severe. This means that being out in public places is challenging for many families," said Carole Charnow, President & CEO. "While the Museum cannot claim to be "allergen free," we are striving to create an "allergy aware" environment with the hope that all adults and children will feel welcome at the Museum."
The Museum's most recent Big & Little Podcast, "Children's Food Allergies: How Prevalent Are They and What Can We Do to Help?", addresses the challenges families with food allergies have as they enjoy everyday aspects of life. Museum President & CEO, Carole Charnow, was joined by Drs. Michael Pistiner and Ali Yurkovic for a conversation on children's food allergies. As allergy experts and parents of children with food allergies themselves, Michael and Ali speak to the prevalence of allergies in children, their own experiences as parents of kids with allergies, and how people can get involved in advocacy efforts to protect those with food allergies in public spaces. This episode of Big & Little intends to start a dialogue around food allergies, with the greater goal of ensuring all children and adults can feel welcome and safe in public spaces like the Museum. PNC Bank is the Big and Little Podcast sponsor. Listen to the most recent edition here.
For families with serious concerns with allergies who contact the Museum in advance of their visit, staff recommend Morningstar Access - a program for families with various special/medical needs who need a quieter, sheltered visit option. While the Museum cannot be allergen free, risks can be reduced during Morningstar Access. Liberty Mutual Insurance is the Morningstar Access sponsor. For additional information, visit https://bostonchildrensmuseum.org/morningstar.
About Boston Children's Museum
Boston Children's Museum engages children and families in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of our world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning. More information about Boston Children's Museum can be found at http://www.BostonChildrensMuseum.org. Become a fan of the Museum on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Hours and Admission
The Museum will be open Wednesday-Sunday with two set daily time slots, 9:00am - 12:00pm, and 1:30pm - 4:30pm. To reduce touchpoints and enable timed visits, all ticketing will be done online. Members must also make reservations online. There is a limited number of visits reservations available for each time slot. Adults, $18, children (1-15) and senior citizens, $18; children under 12 months and Museum members are always free.
Media Contact
Jo-Anne Baxter, Boston Children's Museum, 617-986-3702, [email protected]
SOURCE Boston Children's Museum
Share this article