Asthma management in childcare

Last reviewed: 9 November 2026. First aid steps checked against the Victorian Government Better Health Channel asthma emergency first aid (based on National Asthma Council Australia) and Hunter New England Kids Health action plan for schools and child services; regulations 90, 94 and 136 checked against the Education and Care Services National Regulations, on 9 November 2026. Always follow the child’s own asthma action plan.

The regulations that apply to children with asthma, the asthma first aid steps for young children, and what to keep and record.

What the regulations require

Requirement	Regulation
Medical conditions policy covering asthma; a medical management plan and risk minimisation plan for each child; communication with staff and parents	r 90
Copy of the policy given to the parent of a child with asthma	r 91
Medication may be given without authorisation in an asthma emergency; notify a parent and emergency services as soon as practicable	r 94
At least one educator with current approved emergency asthma management training in attendance and immediately available at all times	r 136

See the medical conditions policy, medication administration and first aid requirements (which explains the approved training units).

Asthma first aid (4 x 4 x 4)

1. Sit the child upright. Stay calm and reassuring; do not leave them alone.
2. Give 4 separate puffs of blue/grey reliever. Shake the puffer, put 1 puff into the spacer, and have the child take 4 breaths from the spacer. Repeat until 4 puffs are given. Young children use a mask on the spacer.
3. Wait 4 minutes. If breathing is not back to normal, give 4 more separate puffs as above.
4. If breathing still does not return to normal, call 000 and say a child is having an asthma attack. Keep giving 4 separate puffs every 4 minutes until help arrives.

Sources: Better Health Channel; HNE Kids Health. Call 000 straight away if the child is not breathing, collapses or is getting rapidly worse. If a child with a known severe allergy has sudden breathing difficulty, follow their ASCIA plan, which puts adrenaline first; see anaphylaxis management.

In practice

• Get each child’s asthma action plan, signed by their doctor, before they start, and keep it with their reliever and spacer.
• Check reliever expiry dates and that each child has their own spacer and, for young children, a mask; take them on excursions.
• Record every dose in the medication record and every attack on the incident report; an attack needing an ambulance may be a serious incident to notify.
• Know each child’s triggers (for example exercise, cold air or smoke) and include them in the risk minimisation plan.

Frequently asked questions

This page is a research summary, not legal or compliance advice. It is written in our own words from the sources linked on the page; confirm the position with your regulatory authority before relying on it for a compliance decision.