Kids and Diabetes

It is estimated that approximately 210,000 children and youth in the United States — with about 2,200 in Colorado — are living with diabetes. “Students with diabetes require special management of their health care needs at school to allow them to access the same educational opportunities as their peers and to keep them safe,” notes the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Partners including the Colorado Department of Education, CDPHE, the American Diabetes Association, and the Colorado Association of School Nurses formed the Colorado Kids with Diabetes Care and Prevention Collaborative. Their website, coloradokidswithdiabetes.org, provides toolkits, standards, and guidelines for school nurses, teachers, administrators, and families with useful information on helping students manage diabetes at school. In addition, the site has recently been updated with information on COVID-19 and diabetes.

Another resource is the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The center has a special focus on childhood/pediatric diabetes, and they have produced several publications that newly-diagnosed kids and their families will find helpful. These include Understanding Diabetes: A Handbook for People Who Are Living with Diabetes and its companion books, A First Book for Understanding Diabetes and Understanding Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitors. Additional editions of these books are available for purchase in hardcopy; see the center’s website for information.

General information on diabetes in Colorado can be found on the CDPHE’s website, with pages on diabetes partner resources; diabetes types and issues; and self-management education and support. See also the Colorado Department of Education’s School Nursing and Health webpage for additional links and resources.