Asthma, School, and Child Care in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Managing your child’s asthma in Grand Rapids involves close communication between your family, your child’s healthcare team, and their school or child care center. Cold West Michigan winters, fluctuating spring pollen, and indoor allergens can all trigger asthma symptoms, so it’s important that Grand Rapids schools and child care programs are prepared.

This guide explains what parents, schools, and child care providers in Grand Rapids need to do to keep children with asthma safe and supported.

Before Your Child Starts School or Child Care

At the start of every school year—and whenever your child changes schools, classrooms, or child care centers in the Grand Rapids area—you should:

Inform the School or Child Care Center

Tell staff at your child’s:

• Child care center
• Preschool
• Elementary, middle, or high school

that your child has asthma. This includes public, private, and charter schools across Grand Rapids and Kent County.

Provide a Written Asthma Action Plan

Ask your child’s doctor (GP or pediatrician) to write a personalized asthma action plan. This plan should:

• List your child’s asthma triggers (for example: cold air, exercise, respiratory infections, pollen, pet dander, smoke)
• Explain daily medicines and doses
• Explain what to do if symptoms get worse
• Explain what to do in a severe asthma attack
• Include emergency contact information

Give a current copy of this asthma action plan to:

• Your child’s school office
• The school nurse (if available) or health aide
• Your child’s teacher(s)
• The director of the child care center or preschool

Update the plan at least once a year, or sooner if your child’s asthma changes.

Ensure Medicine and Equipment Are at School

Work with your child’s healthcare provider and school to make sure:

• The school or child care center has your child’s reliever (rescue) inhaler
• A spacer is available and labeled with your child’s name, if your child uses one
• Medication is in date and replaced before it expires
• Staff know where the medicine is stored and how to access it quickly

Ask about the school’s or center’s policy on students carrying their own inhalers. Many Grand Rapids schools allow older children with asthma to carry their inhaler with written permission from parents and the child’s doctor.

Share Contact Details

Provide:

• Your current mobile and home phone numbers
• An emergency contact (another family member or trusted adult in Grand Rapids)
• Contact details for your child’s doctor or pediatrician
• Any specialist contacts (for example, a pediatric pulmonologist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital)

Update these details immediately if your phone number or address changes.

Ongoing Communication With School or Child Care

Keep in regular contact with your child’s teachers and the school or child care center:

• Let them know if your child’s asthma symptoms change
• Inform them if your child’s medication is adjusted
• Tell them about any recent ER visits or hospital stays for asthma
• Ask how often your child is having asthma symptoms at school
• Discuss how your child is coping with exercise, recess, and outdoor activities, especially in cold or high-pollen conditions common in West Michigan

Regular communication helps the school recognize patterns—such as more coughing during winter cold snaps or spring pollen spikes—and adjust activities if needed.

Asthma, School Camps, and Field Trips

In Grand Rapids, many schools organize field trips and outdoor activities, including visits to Lake Michigan beaches, local parks, and nature centers. These trips can expose children to new triggers like cold air, exercise, pollen, or campfire smoke.

For camps and excursions:

• Ensure your child has enough asthma medicine to last the entire trip, plus extra
• Provide a copy of the asthma action plan specifically for the trip
• Confirm that staff know how to recognize and treat asthma symptoms
• Check that there is a designated staff member trained in asthma first aid on the trip
• Discuss any special needs related to cold weather, high activity levels, or allergens

Emergency Asthma Care at School or Child Care

In a serious asthma emergency, staff may need to give your child medicine immediately, even before contacting you. This can be lifesaving.

In an emergency, staff should:

1. Follow your child’s asthma action plan
2. Give the reliever inhaler as directed
3. Call 911 if:
   • Your child is struggling to breathe
   • Your child’s lips or face look blue or gray
   • Your child cannot speak in full sentences
   • Symptoms do not improve quickly after using the reliever inhaler

Staff should contact you as soon as possible after treating your child and/or calling an ambulance.

Nearby emergency departments in the Grand Rapids area include:

• Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital (pediatric emergency care)
• Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) Butterworth Hospital
• Trinity Health Grand Rapids
• Metro Health – University of Michigan Health emergency services

Responsibilities of Parents and Caregivers

If your child has asthma, you are responsible for:

• Providing a current asthma action plan written by your child’s doctor
• Making sure the school or child care center has:
  • Your child’s reliever inhaler
  • A spacer, if prescribed
  • Any other prescribed asthma medicines for school use
• Keeping medicines in date and replacing them before they expire
• Updating the school if:
  • Your child’s medications change
  • Your child’s symptoms get worse or more frequent
  • Your contact details change
• Teaching your child (when old enough) to:
  • Recognize early asthma symptoms (cough, chest tightness, wheeze, shortness of breath)
  • Tell an adult at school or child care as soon as they feel unwell
  • Use their inhaler and spacer correctly

Responsibilities of Child Care Centers and Preschools

Child care centers and preschools in Grand Rapids and Kent County that care for children with asthma should:

• Have a written asthma management policy
• Keep a current asthma action plan for each child with asthma
• Maintain up-to-date emergency contact information for each child
• Ensure at least one staff member on site at all times has:
  • First aid training
  • Emergency asthma management training
  • Anaphylaxis training (as asthma and allergies often occur together)
• Keep asthma first aid kits accessible and well stocked, including:
  • Reliever inhalers (as per policy)
  • Spacers
  • Clear instructions for asthma first aid
• Record and review:
  • How often a child has asthma symptoms while in care
  • Any asthma attacks and actions taken

Responsibilities of Schools in Grand Rapids

Schools in Grand Rapids, including those in Grand Rapids Public Schools and surrounding districts, should have systems in place to support students with asthma, including:

School Asthma Policies and Plans

Schools should have:

• A school-wide asthma management plan
• An asthma care plan and student health support plan for each student with asthma
• Policies to support students with exercise-induced asthma, including:
  • Allowing pre-exercise inhaler use
  • Adjusting activities in very cold weather or high-pollen days
  • Providing indoor alternatives when outdoor air quality is poor

Staff Training and First Aid

Schools should ensure:

• Staff receive training in first aid and asthma management
• At least two school asthma first aid kits are:
  • Clearly labeled
  • Easily accessible in key locations (e.g., office, gym, playground area, cafeteria)
• Staff supervising sports, recess, and field trips know:
  • Which students have asthma
  • Where their medicines are kept
  • How to respond to asthma symptoms

Communication With Families

Schools should clearly inform parents about:

• How asthma medication is stored and used at school
• How staff will respond to asthma symptoms and emergencies
• Any concerns about:
  • How often a child is having symptoms at school
  • How severe the symptoms are
  • Any health or education issues related to asthma (for example, missed class time or difficulty participating in physical activities)

Seasonal and Local Asthma Triggers in Grand Rapids

Because of West Michigan’s climate and environment, children in Grand Rapids may be exposed to specific asthma triggers:

• Cold, dry winter air: Can tighten airways and trigger symptoms during outdoor recess or walking to and from school
• Respiratory infections: Colds and flu are common in fall and winter; these often worsen asthma
• Pollen and mold: Spring and fall pollen, plus mold from damp leaves, can trigger asthma
• Indoor allergens: Dust mites, pet dander, and classroom dust—especially in older buildings
• Air quality: Occasional poor air quality days, including wildfire smoke drifting into Michigan

Talk with your child’s school or child care center about:

• Allowing your child to use a reliever inhaler before outdoor activities in cold weather
• Adjusting outdoor time on days with high pollen or poor air quality
• Keeping classrooms clean and as low-dust as possible

Local Asthma Resources in Grand Rapids, MI

If your child has asthma and attends school or child care in Grand Rapids, you can get support from:

• Your GP (primary care doctor) or pediatrician
• Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital (Corewell Health) – pediatric asthma and pulmonary specialists, education, and resources
• Corewell Health (Spectrum Health) Medical Group – primary and specialty care
• Trinity Health Grand Rapids – family medicine and pediatric services
• Metro Health – University of Michigan Health – primary care and specialty clinics
• Kent County Health Department – information on child health, air quality alerts, and community health programs
• Grand Rapids Public Schools health services – for school-based health support and coordination of asthma care

National and regional resources:

• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) – education and support
• American Lung Association – asthma tools and school resources
• National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) – guidelines for asthma care

When to Seek Immediate Help

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department in Grand Rapids if:

• Your child is struggling to breathe
• Your child’s lips or face look blue or gray
• Your child can’t speak in full sentences
• Reliever inhaler does not help or only helps for a short time
• Your child is getting worse instead of better

Early planning with your child’s school or child care center, a clear asthma action plan, and good communication with local Grand Rapids healthcare providers can help your child stay safe, active, and learning—every season of the year.