Kindergarten Intimidation

[bluefishy]

My daughter starts kindergarten (in Connecticut) in the fall, and she is very excited.  We haven't registered yet (which they said is ok, we have a month), but we went to the orientation.  The school nurse at the orientation seemed extremely hard-core, insisting that children MUST have ALL vaccinations in order to be allowed in, so I felt like I might have a bit of a fight on my hands.

I talked to a mom in the same town, but different school district who has done some vaccines when her littles were born, but hasn't since, and she said she's had no problems.

Yesterday I was at our pediatrician, and the receptionist looked at her computer and said, "I know you guys don't do shots, but I just want to warn you that the public school is going to give you a hard time".  I pressed her a little further and she said,  I said, "what can they do, we're protected if we claim a religious exemption", and she said "Well, the law also states that children need to be vaccinated, just be prepared for a power struggle".

I really don't know what she's talking about specifically, and am wondering if she might be trying to scare me because she doesn't agree with our beliefs, but I'm a little worried.  My daughter is so excited to start school and I'd hate to have to fight to get her in, and honestly don't know what I should know in advance.

Can anyone offer any help/guidance or a story about how things went for you, something that can help be be prepared and ease my mind a bit?

[ma2two]

People can try to scare and intimidate you all they want. But the law is on your side. Just calmly inform them of that, and I don't think you'll have any real problems with it.

Here is the exemption form for Connecticut. 

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/deps/student/health/Religious_Exemption.pdf

Edited by ma2two - 7/18/12 at 7:56pm

[emmy526]

I am in Ct and had have 3 kids in the school system for over 15yrs...if the school nurse harasses you, politely inform them of legal action you will take if need be.  That usually shuts them up.   The law IS on your side here...if you have trouble obtaining a religious exemption, call the Dept of Health in hartford, and they'll mail you one...its against the law for the school nurse to question the religious exemption as well.  and the nurse at the pedi's obviously is unknowing of the law or she wouldn't have said that.  There really is nothing to be prepared for.  All it is is a piece of paper you are giving to the school, and they CANNOT  harass you about it.  I got our exemption from our school nurse.  She had some on file.  

Originally Posted by bluefishy 

My daughter starts kindergarten (in Connecticut) in the fall, and she is very excited.  We haven't registered yet (which they said is ok, we have a month), but we went to the orientation.  The school nurse at the orientation seemed extremely hard-core, insisting that children MUST have ALL vaccinations in order to be allowed in, so I felt like I might have a bit of a fight on my hands.

I talked to a mom in the same town, but different school district who has done some vaccines when her littles were born, but hasn't since, and she said she's had no problems.

Yesterday I was at our pediatrician, and the receptionist looked at her computer and said, "I know you guys don't do shots, but I just want to warn you that the public school is going to give you a hard time".  I pressed her a little further and she said,  I said, "what can they do, we're protected if we claim a religious exemption", and she said "Well, the law also states that children need to be vaccinated, just be prepared for a power struggle".

I really don't know what she's talking about specifically, and am wondering if she might be trying to scare me because she doesn't agree with our beliefs, but I'm a little worried.  My daughter is so excited to start school and I'd hate to have to fight to get her in, and honestly don't know what I should know in advance.

Can anyone offer any help/guidance or a story about how things went for you, something that can help be be prepared and ease my mind a bit?

[geotrouvetout]

I live in MAss where there is similar law. We are not religious, but I suppose we can pretend we are. Any experience to share from Mass anyone?

thanks

[ma2two]

Originally Posted by geotrouvetout 

I live in MAss where there is similar law. We are not religious, but I suppose we can pretend we are. Any experience to share from Mass anyone?

thanks

Here is the law.

http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXII/Chapter76/Section15

"In the absence of an emergency or epidemic of disease declared by the department of public health, no child whose parent or guardian states in writing that vaccination or immunization conflicts with his sincere religious beliefs shall be required to present said physician’s certificate in order to be admitted to school."

[emmy526]

Another mom i know of in danbury registered her dd for kindergarten, and when she handed in the exemption, the nurse told her a lot of exemptions were coming in this year, and half the kindergarten is unvaxed.  

[sassyfirechick]

We're in Enfield and I've been looking at the Montessori school in town for DD (she's only 8mos now but they already recommend filling out an application 2 years in advance). It's a Catholic Montessori, but religion isn't covered quite like it is in a traditional Catholic school - they accept anyone of any affiliation.  Anyone have any experience with using religious exempt in this typ of situation?  DH and I were both raised Catholic (I was confirmed, he's not) and neither of us care much to follow any religious practices and so DD is not baptised and we're still deciding on that.  She was partially vaxxed, but I've since stopped after bad reactions to the 2 DTap's she had (2 and 5mos).   Bluefishy, whereabouts in CT?

[MamaMunchkin]

These might be useful:

http://www.ctvia.org/index.cfm?folder=31 --- has some more info about what religious exemption means

The forms:

www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/daycare/CDC_ChildHlthAssessRcd.pdf

www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/deps/.../Religious_Exemption.pdf

[bluefishy]

Thank you all so much for your help!  Sassyfirechick, I'm in Manchester :)

We've vaccinated her for a couple of things when she was first born, and then last year when we thought we'd be going to India, so I really hope this doesn't raise red flags, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. 

Just curious, do you think I should cross out the vaccination section on our health forms and write N/A over it?  My hope is to discourage our doctor from writing in any of the shots, but maybe that's just a waste of time...
 

[ma2two]

Originally Posted by bluefishy 

Just curious, do you think I should cross out the vaccination section on our health forms and write N/A over it?  My hope is to discourage our doctor from writing in any of the shots, but maybe that's just a waste of time...

Has she completed the school requirements for any of the vaccines? If so, those should be listed so she won't be excluded from school in the event of an outbreak of one of those diseases.

Religious beliefs can change at any time, so I wouldn't worry about putting some on the form, especially if you aren't planning on giving any more vaccines. The doctor might think it strange that you crossed out the vaccine section--that would be my only concern, but that's still not a big deal.