Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • September 12, 2012 (ARA) When children head off to school, it’s assumed they will be in a safe place where they will be well taken care of. For the most part, that’s true. However, children with diabetes tend to be better off in the school environment when there is someone on site to help them manage their health. It’s important for schools to make diabetes safety a priority, as 215,000 children in the U.S. under the age of 20 are living with diabetes. The safest schools are those that have staff who are properly trained in caring for children with diabetes and work with parents and students. “It’s not only important for a child’s health to have a plan Make school a safe place for diabetic students in place that designates a school nurse and other trained staff to help manage his or her diabetes at school, but it’s also essential in ensuring children with diabetes are treated fairly and have the same educational opportunities as their peers,” said Linda M. Siminerio, RN, Ph.D., co-chairperson, American Diabetes Association’s Safe at School Working Group. The American Diabetes Association’s Safe at School campaign works to educate and train school personnel and parents on how to effectively help children manage their diabetes at school. According to the association, effective school-based diabetes management requires three things: Basic diabetes training for all staff. All school staff members who have responsibility for a child with diabetes should receive training that provides a basic understanding of diabetes and the child’s needs, how to identify medical emergencies, and which school staff members to contact with questions or in case of an emergency. Shared responsibilities for care, with leadership by school nurses. The school nurse holds the primary role of coordinating, monitoring, and supervising the care of a student with diabetes. However, in addition to a school nurse, a small group of school staff members should receive training to provide routine and emergency diabetes care, so someone is always available for younger or less experienced students who require assistance with their diabetes management and for all children with diabetes in case of an emergency, including administration of glucagon. Self-management is allowed in all school settings for students with capacity. Children who possess the necessary skills to do so should be permitted to self-manage their diabetes in the classroom or wherever they are in conjunction with a school-related activity. Such self-management should include monitoring blood glucose and responding to blood glucose levels with needed food and medication. Safe at School offers many resources for both school personnel and parents that can help in formulating a care plan for children with diabetes and individual expert help in resolving school diabetes care problems when they occur at www.diabetes.org/sas, or by calling 1-800-DIABETES. In addition to providing educational resources though the Safe at School campaign, the American Diabetes Association also works to advocate for better policies to help children with diabetes. For example, the association recently successfully advocated for the passage of laws in (continued on next page)