Care of children with diabetes in the school and day care setting. American Diabetes Association.

D iabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, with a prevalence of 1.7 affected individuals per 1,000 people aged 20 years (1–4). In the U.S., 13,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in children (4 –7). There are about 125,000 individuals 19 years of age with diabetes in the U.S. (8). The majority of these young people attend school and/or some type of day care and need knowledgeable staff to provide a safe school environment (9–12). Both parents and the health care team should work together to provide school systems and day care providers with the information necessary to allow children with diabetes to participate fully and safely in the school experience.