
Find resources to keep kids safe at school during COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents unique worries for parents of children living with diabetes.
As schools begin to re-open, we anticipate concerns, questions and challenges may arise that parents, schools, the medical community and the legal community will have to navigate together. The return to school in the midst or just following a global pandemic is largely unchartered territory, in particular for students with diabetes. Nevertheless, students with diabetes have legal rights and these rights do not go away during a global pandemic.
As the science and guidance evolves, we will be working to produce helpful resources and tools for parents and schools to help them navigate this unique time. Our resources will try to address the most common issues that we see. On this webpage, you will find recommendations for returning to school during the pandemic and links to helpful sources of authority. Please check this webpage periodically as we are regularly adding resources and information.
Safe at School Resources during COVID-19
Recommendations
- Recommendations for the Development and Transmission of the DMMP
- Recommendations for Section 504/Written Accommodations Plans
- Recommendations on Returning to School for Children with Diabetes
- Recommendations for Accommodations in Colleges or Other Post-Secondary Institutions
- Recommendations for Virtual Learning Accommodations
- Fact Sheet: Rights of School Employees During COVID-19
- Safe at School Recommendations: Going to School During a Pandemic & Mental Health Considerations
Provider Letter Templates
- Provider letter addressing the need for COVID-19 accommodations for students with type 1 diabetes
- Provider letter addressing the need for COVID-19 accommodations for students with type 2 diabetes
Other helpful information and resources
Webinars & Virtual Meetings
- Find resources and a Q&A from "Back to School with Diabetes in the Time of COVID-19,” a chat hosted by Children with Diabetes on August 23, 2020. Part of the Screenside Chats with CWD series, this chat featured ADA's Safe at School Director and parent of a child with diabetes Crystal Woodward and Dr. Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, nurse diabetes educator at the University of Florida, co-chair of ADA’s Safe at School Working Group and parent of a child with diabetes.
- Watch the Back to School with T1D Virtual Town Hall, hosted by the Diabetes Research Institute on August 13, 2020. This Town Hall featured expert panelists including ADA’s Safe at School Director Crystal Woodward, MPS and Safe at School Working Group members Cynthia Munoz, PhD, CDE, and Leah Wyckoff, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN.
- View the recording and resources from “Returning to School with Diabetes: Virtual Town Hall Meeting,” presented by the ADA, JDRF and Sansum Diabetes Research Institute on July 21, 2020.
Resources from the American Diabetes Association® (ADA):
- The ADA’s Safe at School campaign offers a wealth of resources, tools and information to help parents and caregivers advocate for the rights of children with diabetes in school, child care, camp and recreational program settings.
- The ADA’s Know Your Rights: COVID-19 page provides information on the rights of people with diabetes during a global pandemic, as well as resources to assist people with diabetes during COVID-19.
- The ADA’s COVID-19 Hub helps people with diabetes and their families find the latest information, tips and resources about COVID-19, including answers to the most common questions about COVID-19 and diabetes, tips to stay safe and resources for health care professionals.
Resources from the Federal Government:
- Office of Civil Rights (OCR) COVID-19 Guidance Fact Sheet addresses the risk of COVID-19 in schools while protecting the civil rights of students. Published March 16, 2020.
- OCR Supplemental Fact Sheet addresses the risk of COVID-19 in preschool, elementary and secondary schools while serving children with disabilities. Published March 21, 2020.
- U.S. Department of Education Student Privacy Policy Office Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and COVID-19. Page 4 addresses the disclosure of a student’s illness under FERPA to other parents without prior written parental or eligible student consent. Published March 2020.
- Centers for Disease Control, Racial and Ethnic Differences in Parental Attitudes and Concerns About School Reopening During the COVID-19 Pandemic—United States, July 2020, dated December 11, 2020, discusses the challenges faced by families and school about returning to school during COVID-19.
- Centers for Disease Control, Implementing Mitigation Strategies in Early Care and Education Settings for Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission—Eight States, September–October 2020, dated December 11, 2020, discusses measures that may put in place to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in childcare centers.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidance for Schools and Child Care Programs. This is based on what is currently known about the transmission and severity of COVID-19. Published Septembre 18, 2020.
- CDC Guidance for Higher Education Institutions provides information on the measures colleges and other post-secondary institutions may take to protect students and employees, and to slow the spread of COVID-19. Published May 30, 2020.
- CDC Guidance on Medical Conditions and Increased Risk discusses the risk of severe illness from COVID-19 for people with certain underlying medical conditions. Published October 6, 2020.
- CDC Guidance on COVID-19 Testing K-12 provides information to school administrators on the appropriate use of SARS-CoV-2 testing. Published June 30, 2020.
Resources from other organizations:
- LRP Publications’ “Special Ed Connection” highlights suggestions for students with diabetes returning to school during the global pandemic. Published August 28, 2020
- American Academy of Pediatrics COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry. Published June 25, 2020.
- American Academy of Pediatrics News Release: Pediatricians, Educators and Superintendents Urge a Safe Return to School This Fall. Issued July 10, 2020.
Related studies and articles:
- COVID-19 and Children With Diabetes–Updates, Unknowns, and Next Steps: First, Do No Extrapolation, Diabetes Care, Volume 43, November 2020.
- Public health antibody screening indicates a six-fold higher SARS-CoV-2 exposure rate than reported cases in children, Med (NY), October 29, 2020.
- Preliminary Findings of T1D Exchange’s Population Health Surveillance Study of COVID-19 in Individuals with Type 1 Diabetes, Diabetes Care (6/9/2020)
- Most children with asthma, diabetes and epilepsy do not need to shield, say doctors, Wigan Today, 6/11/2020
- Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and COVID-19 related mortality in England: a cohort study in people with diabetes, NHS England, 5/19/2020
- Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased mortality and severity of disease in COVID-19 pneumonia – A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews. 2020;14(4):395-403. doi:10.1016/j.dsx.2020.04.018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7162793/
- Is diabetes mellitus associated with mortality and severity of COVID-19? A meta-analysis. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews. 2020;14(4):535-545. doi:10.1016/j.dsx.2020.04.044 ttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7200339/
- COVID-19 and diabetes: Is there enough evidence? The Journal of Clinical Hypertension. n/a(n/a). doi:10.1111/jch.13912 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jch.13912
- Incidence of type 1 diabetes in China, 2010-13: population based study. BMJ. 2018;360:j5295. doi:10.1136/bmj.j5295 https://www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.j5295
- Phenotypic characteristics and prognosis of inpatients with COVID-19 and diabetes: the CORONADO study. Diabetologia. Published online May 29, 2020. doi:10.1007/s00125-020-05180-x https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-020-05180-x
- CDCMMWR. Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Children — United States, February 12–April 2, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6914e4 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6914e4.htm
- SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children. New England Journal of Medicine. 2020;382(17):1663-1665. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2005073 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2005073
- Epidemiology of COVID-19 Among Children in China. Pediatrics. 2020;145(6). doi:10.1542/peds.2020-0702 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32179660/
- Racial demographics and COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths: a correlational analysis of 2886 US counties. J Public Health (Oxf). Published online May 21, 2020. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdaa070 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32435809/
This page was last updated on December 14, 2020.