The red tape of food allergies in French school (or going gluten free at la cantine)

 There are many things I've learned about recently, that I really wish I didn't have to know. One of them is how to deal with family inheritance since my husband's grandmother died over a year ago and we inherited parts of various houses. Now that that's settled, the powers that be have thrown me another French administrative barrier to tackle : my daughter's gluten intolerance.



I haven't mentioned it on my blog, but Max is lactose intolerant which I noticed when he was weaned from breast milk at a year old.  But Suzanne has complained about stomach aches since she was able to speak. After various treatments for worm infestations, inconclusive stool samples and lots of gas, the doctor said that it seemed like a gluten intolerance and the only way to check was to cut out gluten, not an easy feat in the land of the baguette.  He asked if it was worth it since her discomfort didn't seem to outweigh the hassle of cutting gluten. It wasn't until just before her 5th birthday last May that we took the plunge. One day she came home from school and said to me, "My stomach used to hurt and not hurt and hurt and not hurt (ie cramps). But now it doesn't stop." The next day, I declared war on gluten.

Any vegetarian in France will know that having a "special diet" in France is nearly impossible. Unlike in the US where people are über-sensitive to people's special needs, the French treat it like they do most things : it's not worth it unless you are willing to jump through hoops, speak to endless numbers of rude people on the phone and get an official written consent.

Yes, dear blogosphere, I am currently fighting with French administration so my daughter can bring a rice cake to school for snack. Ridiculous? Yes it is...

It's called a P.A.I. - Plan d'accueil individualisé (here's the official text). In fact, we are going through the same administrative process a physically handicapped child would go through in order to attend a public school. From what I've understood, the only way we can get an ok for Suzanne to eat special food at school once in a while (since she's intolerant and not allergic) is if there is someone available at school who can prepare the food I've provided in a tupperware and make sure that she actually gets it. I guess they haven't heard of all the millions on kids in the US who go to school with their lunch boxes every day and have no problem feeding themselves.

Granted, there is something reassuring about the fact that someone will make sure my daughter will get her gluten free food on the days the school is serving pasta and not rice. But why all the red tape? Why can't a note from the doctor suffice?
Last week, I called the mairie who told me to speak to the school director who told me to call the centre medico-scolaire which is a special place with a doctor who is specificially there for the school. I tried to call yesterday ALL day long and the phone rang. and rang. and rang. and rang. I was understandably frustrated that anyone calling this place is so unimportant that there is no voice mail and no receptionist. At one point, I let the phone ring for 5 minutes until someone finally picked it up and hung up on me!

When I finally got someone on the phone, I kind of wished I hadn't because she was so damn rude. She told me to call back, but then relunctantly took my phone number. Then called me back 30 minutes later and left the following message : I can give you an appointment on the 28th at 10am. Then 3 minutes later : I need Suzanne's birthday. Rappelez moi.  No hello. No name. No politesse at all. Rien. Just two rude messages. When I called back, the unnamed woman (was she the doctor? I hope not...or just the receptionist) repeated  the same date. When I told her it was difficult since I worked she said, "Madame, c'est vous qui demandez un PAI." Um, yeah, I know...but how about some flexibility or even a little bit of humanity?  So I asked if I needed to bring any papers. She said that I needed all of the pieces of her dossier. I said I didn't have any because there were no tests run, just the fact of taking gluten out of her diet. Her reply? "Il vous faut toutes les pieces de son dossier". Of course I repeated that she didn't have a dossier. But, in stereotypical French fashion, there was no way to cut the red tape : if you need a dossier, you need a dossier. Usually in these circumstances, I say something like, "I'm foreign. I'm having trouble understanding. Can you speak more slowly?" which usually knocks them down a notch. But I was so frustrated but this bitch-on-wheels that I just hung up on the verge of tears mumbling bitch under my breath.

When I got off the phone and recounted the story to a co-worker, she offered to call and ball out the woman. It was tempting but no. When I told my husband he said that people like that need to be denounced...which I plan to do when I see the doctor.

Next step, we are meeting the doctor in two weeks. To be continued...

Here are a couple useful links about gluten intolerance in France and PAI. For food allergies, social security actually partially reimburses part of the special food.
PAI
Getting gluten free food reimbursed
Assosciation Française des Intolerants au Gluten