Diabetes Care in School

Diabetes Care in School

Gather your supplies

  • Supply your child’s school with:
    • Meter and strips
    • Insulin, syringes and pump supplies as needed
    • Lancing device and lancets
    • Urine ketone test strips
    • Glucose tablets or juice to treat a low
    • Glucagon
  • You should also set up a plan with the school nurse so you’re able to find out if your child is running low on supplies at school
  • Have your child wear a medic alert ID

Develop a diabetes healthcare plan

  • Work with your diabetes team and school staff to create a 504 Plan (see below) or Diabetes Healthcare Plan for your child
  • This plan should include:
    • Bathroom and water breaks
    • Managing diabetes during school activities
    • Instructions for testing blood sugars
    • Guidelines for giving insulin
    • Times for meals and snacks
    • Signs and symptoms of high and low blood sugars and how to treat.
    • Urine testing for ketones when blood sugars are over 240
    • Responsibilities of school staff, your child and you
    • Emergency contact information
    • A way for blood sugar information to be shared between school and home
  • Forms should be signed and dated by the school nurse and you
  • Update the plan when there are changes
  • If you feel that your child is being treated unfairly because of diabetes, request a meeting with the school principal

504 Plan

  • If your child is in a public school, you can ask for a formal 504 Plan
  • A 504 Plan outlines plans for your child’s medical needs
  • You may request a 504 Plan at any time
  • Call the diabetes social worker at the DCC at 215-590-3174 to request a sample 504 plan

School forms

  • Make sure your nurse completes the form “Medical Orders for Diabetes Management at School/Day Care” during your diabetes visit
  • Review it with school staff and keep a copy for yourself
  • Schools need a new form every year
  • Get this form BEFORE school starts
  • If your school needs other forms, give your Nurse Practitioner 2 weeks to complete and return them to you

Your rights under the law

  • Children with diabetes are required by law to receive all their diabetes care while in school
  • Federal law includes diabetes care under its rules for disabilities
  • Some laws that protect a child with diabetes rights in school include:
    • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
    • The American with Disabilities Act
    • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Not all of the protections provided by these laws apply to children in private or religious schools.