California Prepares Advice for Schools To Provide Diabetes Care
This week the Department of Education will send school districts a legal advisory notice to help them comply with a new agreement that requires schools to provide some services and care to students with diabetes, according to department spokesperson Pam Slater, the Ventura County Star reports (Hernandez, Ventura County Star, 9/6).
The new policy is part of a settlement of a lawsuit filed in 2005 by four families of children with diabetes and the American Diabetes Association against the California Department of Education and the San Ramon Valley and Fremont Unified school districts.
To comply with the policy, schools can hire nurses or train other staff members to provide insulin injections and other services for children with diabetes (California Healthline, 8/9). The agreement permits seven categories of individuals to provide the services, including:
- School nurses;
- Other health care professionals; and
- Relatives, friends and volunteer school employees who undergo special training (Ventura County Star, 9/6).